DON’T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE NEXT OLYMPIC CHAMPION
AT THE ABU DHABI SCIENCE FESTIVAL ENDING IN FOUR DAYS!
Abu Dhabi, October 16, 2012: The post-London 2012 Olympic sporting fever continues to
excite sports fans at the Abu Dhabi Science Festival. As part of the Abu Dhabi Science
Festival 2012’s commitment to showcase the science of sports psychology to the population
of the UAE, it was a golden opportunity for children of all age groups to learn about how to
beat an Olympic sprinter.
School children tested how far behind an Olympic champion runner such as Usain Bolt they
would finish in an actual race. Usain Bolt is the current 100m world-record holder being the
fastest man to cross the line during the Berlin World Championships in 2009 with a time of
9.58 seconds, breaking his own world record set during the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He
then set a new Olympic record of 9.63 seconds when defending his title in the 100m final at
the London 2012 Games. School children visiting the Festival were fascinated to find out just
how he managed to run so fast. They also learnt how marathon runners overcome “the wall”
(the body’s limit to exercise) and still complete the full marathon distance of over 42 km.
One interested parent, Zayed Al Juidy commented saying “It was interesting to learn how
athletes are prepared for success. Their physiology, their fitness levels and the athletic
performance is a science of its own. My son is a keen sportsman and loves football so he
found it engaging and really wants to compete at a high level.”
Teaching children about sports science continues all week at ADNEC and the Abu Dhabi
Corniche. At ADNEC, the “In the Zone” and “Science Olympics” shows continue from 4pm to
9pm on weekdays and from 2pm to 10pm on weekends. At the Abu Dhabi Corniche, parents
and children try the reflex machines for goalkeepers at the “The Sports Science Games”
workshop, which continues from 5pm to 9pm on weekdays and from 4pm to 10pm on
weekends until 20th October.
Thousands of seats have already been pre-booked for favorite activities at the Abu Dhabi
National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), and bookings are daily increasing. While, the weekend
days are witnessing a huge volume of visitors, parents and children can still visit the Festival
during the weekdays and after school hours. Visitors can pre-plan their visit and book
preferred workshops and shows, which have a limited capacity, through the festival’s
website www.abudhabisciencefestival.ae. All events at the Abu Dhabi Corniche are free-ofcharge.
Organized by the Abu Dhabi technology Development Committee (TDC), the Abu Dhabi
Science Festival is a strategic initiative dedicated to the engagement and inspiration of the
nation’s youth with science related hands-on activities as part of a wider plan geared
towards building Abu Dhabi’s talent base in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).
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Notes to Editors
The TDC Story: 2012
The Abu Dhabi Policy Agenda and Economic Vision 2030 have clearly shown the Abu Dhabi
Government’s desire to build a knowledge-based economy. Science, Technology and Innovation
(STI) is at the center of the knowledge-based economy and hence the Abu Dhabi Technology
Development Committee (TDC) was established to support, supervise and coordinate its
development in the Emirate. The aim is to ensure a globally competitive and sustainable STI base in
areas of economic and societal priority through fostering world-class talent with the right skills and
attitudes and supporting the creation of a vibrant enterprise base.
To achieve this, TDC is pursuing a broad program of change in five key policy areas: human capital,
research and development, enterprise development, infrastructure, and laws and regulations. These
programs aim to embed science, technology and innovation within the fabric of Abu Dhabi.
For further media information, please contact:
Nour Saifi
Impact Porter Novelli
Tel: +971 50 721 5310
Email: [email protected]