TOW #18: "Engineering the Ideal Olympian" by Erica Westly (via Popular Science)

     With the Winter Olympics finally here, many Americans are excitedly rooting for their favorite snowboarders, skiers, and figure skaters. In "Engineering the Ideal Olympian" in the February issue of Popular Science, Erica Westly, a freelance writer who often covers the Olympics, writes about the new technology the US team is employing. She writes to an audience interested in both the Olympics and cutting-edge science and technology – a category that probably encompasses most of Popular Science's readership. Through the article, Westly both informs readers about the exciting events in the Winter Games as well as helps them understand how technology gives America an advantage. To achieve this, Westly makes use of intriguing diction and interesting pictures/infographics.
     Clearly enthusiastic about the Olympics, Westly uses many adjectives to convey that interest to her readers. She writes, "Particularly in the Winter Games, technology – flawlessly designed for speed and safety – can mean the difference between standing on the podium and watching from the stands." Her use of "flawlessly" draws readers in and makes them wonder how that technology is designed so that it could have such a great effect on athletes' performance. Westly's overall use of interesting adjectives makes the article more exciting to read and therefore allows readers to focus on the significance of the technology Westly describes.
     Since many of the new technologies Westly is describing are unknown to readers, pictures and infographics are extremely helpful for reader comprehension. When informing readers of the Catapult Sports Minimax S4 (a tool used by snowboarders), Westly discusses how the device measures velocity and G-force. To illustrate this, she includes a picture of a snowboarder mid-air in a half-pipe. The picture has the snowboarder's path drawn in, and has information boxes at spots that would be important to the athletes (ex. takeoff, maximum height, landing). This infographic gives readers a sense of how the device works as well as a better understanding of how the snowboarders can use the data. By including pictures and infographics, Westly effectively helps readers better understand how new technology can make Olympians more successful.
     In "Engineering the Ideal Olympian", Erica Westly strives to inform readers of how new technologies are helping the US Olympic Team be victorious at the 2014 Winter Games. To achieve this purpose, she first draws readers in through her intriguing diction and then fosters understanding of the technology through detailed pictures and infographics. Ultimately, through this article, Westly is able to make more readers excited about the Winter Games and the prospects of victory that new technologies can bring.

Snowboarding Infographic:

As described in the third paragraph, Westly uses an infographic to explain the Catapult Sports Minimax S4, a device snowboarders use. This graphic is interesting and informative enough that it allows readers to understand the way athletes use the device.

(Source: "Engineering the Ideal Olympian": Popular Science, February 2014, Page 37)