Connect with us

Sports

Adidas builds suit for Winter Olympics that heats up athletes from the inside

Published

on

Adidas has built a special suit for the Winter Olympics that warms up its athletes from the inside.

From the outside, the Climawarm System looks like a normal tracksuit. But on the inside are a series of heating pads, aimed specifically at important muscles, that are intended to ensure that athletes stay at the right temperature after they complete their warm-ups.

Adidas has been working on similar systems for years. At the London Olympics in 2012, it introduced similar tools for track cyclists to “achieve optimal muscle temperature for power expression”, says Margherita Raccuglia, director of athlete performance at Adidas.

But it has now built a new version of the suit specifically for the Winter Olympics, allowing its athletes to cope with the specific challenges posed by chasing world-best performance in sub-zero conditions. Those heat pads are specifically focused on the muscles that need to stay warm, and it comes with a range of additional features such as “boost” mode in times that it is particularly needed.

The system has been built in collaboration with those athletes, says Raccuglia. “We have data supporting what kind of temperature we need to provide from a physiological point of view, but it was important to also gather their perceptual feedback as well,” she says, in a process that took about a year and a half.

Advertisement

The conditions at the Winter Olympics are almost perfectly calibrated to make such technology difficult: batteries perform badly in the cold, and electronics struggle in the wet. Adidas also built a series of safety mechanisms, to ensure that it did not overheat, and a special charging bag to make sure that it is always ready to go.

But athletes were “never worried” about the safety of the suit, she said. Instead, their concerns were primarily about performance – whether they would be able to get out of it quickly and easily enough to undertake their discipline, for instance, and testing including coaches timing athletes taking it off to make sure.

At the moment, the suit is only available to those professional athletes at the Winter Olympics. But “this is a technology we want to further explore for more and more athletes and consumers,” says Raccuglia – “staying warm in cold environment is something that resonates with lots of our consumers”.

Adidas has also worked on similar technology for cooling. That has included building a jacket that has something like an in-built air conditioning system, including fans that eject air and create a cooler microclimate around its wearer, that has been used by athletes including the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

Advertisement

Away from that work, Raccuglia says that the other “pillar for performance” is movement, and the company is working on new technologies that support athletes as their muscles work. That might include clothing that is able to support the muscles and joints as they work, especially through fatigue – though that work, for now, is remaining largely secret.

Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Are Fast Withdrawals Important for Irish Gamblers?

Published

on

Are Fast Withdrawals Important for Irish Gamblers?

When you’ve just hit a winning streak at your favourite online casino or correctly predicted the outcome of a Premier League match, there’s a particular feeling that comes with clicking that withdrawal button. However, what happens next can make or break their entire experience with a betting site as money is rarely paid out instantly.

The Psychology Behind Waiting for Your Winnings

Money you’ve won feels different from money you’ve deposited. This is the case even if the profit is just a few Euros. There’s an anticipation, a sense of validation that comes with seeing those funds actually land in your account.

When a casino or sportsbook processes withdrawals quickly—within hours rather than days—it reinforces trust in a way that no marketing message ever could. As a result, many prefer Irish fast withdrawal casinos that payout within 24 hours over those that take a day to complete the transaction.

For recreational players who treat gambling as entertainment, a few days’ wait might seem inconsequential. But consider someone who gambles more regularly, perhaps placing bets several times a week. Slow withdrawals create a peculiar problem: their funds become trapped in a limbo between a gambling account and a bank account.

Advertisement

This affects practical decision-making. If you’ve won €200 on Monday but won’t see it until Friday, you’re more likely to either leave it in your gambling account (where it remains at risk) or deposit more money for other expenses. Neither scenario is ideal for someone trying to maintain control over their gambling budget.

Payment methods matter enormously here. Traditional bank transfers through Irish banks can take 3-5 working days. E-wallets like Revolut, PayPal, or Neteller often process within hours.

Irish banks themselves sometimes add another layer of delay. Some banks flag gambling transactions for additional scrutiny, particularly larger amounts, which can extend processing times regardless of how quickly the betting site acts.

The Regulatory Landscape in Ireland

Ireland’s gambling regulation has historically been fragmented, operating under legislation dating back to the 1950s. While the upcoming Gambling Regulation Bill promises to modernise and tighten regulations, offshore sites licensed in jurisdictions like Malta, Gibraltar, or Curaçao can currently operate freely in the market. As a result, there are no uniform rules regarding withdrawals.

Advertisement

These licensing authorities have different standards for withdrawal processing. The Malta Gaming Authority, for instance, requires licensees to process withdrawals “without undue delay,” though the exact timeframe remains somewhat vague. While this ambiguity means withdrawal speeds vary dramatically between operators, MGA-licensed casinos still have tighter restrictions than other regulators, with other regulators offering poorer conditions.

Many include mandatory pending periods of 1-3 days, where the funds just sit there before anything happens. During this time, it’s possible to cancel the withdrawal and keep on playing. This practice is not just frustrating for players, but also bad for responsible gambling reasons. As a result, national gambling regulations like the UK Gambling Commission have tightened the rules relating to withdrawals and have made it illegal to purposely hold up withdrawals. It’s likely that the new Irish gambling regulators will include similar rulings.

The Verification Paradox

Slow withdrawals aren’t always at the fault of the casino. The same security measures that protect Irish players from fraud are often responsible for withdrawal delays.

First-time withdrawals typically require identity verification before they are processed. A copy of your passport or driver’s license, proof of address, and sometimes even a photo/screenshot of your payment method is required. This process exists to prevent money laundering and is one of several mandatory Anti Money Laundering (AML) processes a casino must go through. Additionally, it aims to confirm you are who you claim to be and to ensure you’re of legal gambling age.

Advertisement

But it can create frustration when you’ve just won and must wait 24-48 hours for a manual review before accessing your money. Many inexperienced players are often surprised by this requirement and will not comply, as they believe it’s some type of fraud.

Experienced players know to complete verification immediately upon registration to prevent this from delaying future withdrawals. This forward-thinking approach eliminates delays later, but most people don’t think that far ahead.

What Irish Players Actually Prioritise

An older survey from 2015 reveals that ease of use and perceived trustworthiness are important factors for Irish gamblers when picking a casino site. While it doesn’t specify fast withdrawals as a factor specifically, it’s likely included in the “ease of use” category.

The withdrawal speed ranks high in importance, but it’s rarely the single deciding factor when choosing an online casino. It exists alongside other concerns—game variety, welcome bonuses, customer service quality, and mobile app functionality.

Advertisement

However, withdrawal speed becomes disproportionately important when something goes wrong. A player who’s had a smooth experience with quick payouts might barely mention it. A player who’s waited ten days for a withdrawal will tell everyone they know, leave negative reviews, and likely never return to that site. In an industry where players are literally trusting operators with their money, that signal matters more than almost anything else.


LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Major WWE star pushed to win at the Royal Rumble but he lost

Published

on

A major WWE Superstar pushed to win at the Royal Rumble but still came up short at the PLE this past Saturday night in Saudi Arabia. The popular star competed in a major title match at Royal Rumble 2026.

Sami Zayn won a Fatal 4-Way match last month to become the number one contender for the Undisputed WWE Championship. He challenged Drew McIntyre for the title at the Royal Rumble but was unable to defeat The Scottish Warrior.

According to a new report from the Wrestling Observer, Zayn was pushing to defeat McIntyre and capture the title at Royal Rumble, but it was not meant to be. McIntyre defeated Zayn at the PLE via pinfall after connecting with the Claymore.

Advertisement

Why Did WWE Waste This Year’s Royal Rumble? Find Out!

Following his victory over Zayn, McIntyre interfered in the Men’s Royal Rumble match later in the show to eliminate Cody Rhodes. Roman Reigns won the Men’s Royal Rumble and will be challenging CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship at WWE WrestleMania 42.

Jackie Redmond reveals how Sami Zayn almost ruined their WWE interview

Backstage interviewer Jackie Redmond recently shared how Sami Zayn almost ruined a segment they had together.

Speaking with Chris Van Vliet on the INSIGHT podcast, Redmond shared that Zayn was very late to an interview segment they had in the past. Redmond disclosed that she started to get nervous, but thankfully, the former Intercontinental Champion showed up in time.

Advertisement

“We are getting ready for a live shot backstage where I’m interviewing this person. And we’re like 20 seconds away. Don’t even have eyes on him. Don’t know where he is. I haven’t seen him. We chatted earlier in the day, like, yeah, we have backstage, and that will be great, whatever. But we’re getting close.” She continued, “And so I’m starting to panic a little bit. And literally, like, we’re in the 10 count. And finally, Sami Zayn shows up, and we’re ready to go. And I was like, ‘Oh my God, Sami! I’m so nervous!’ I was like, where is this man? But he was fine, and he nailed it, and we were great. And it was a wonderful segment,” she said.

.@DMcIntyreWWE RETAINS! 💪

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Sami Zayn after failing to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship.