Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., the Worldwide Olympic Partner and the U.S. Olympic Committee have presented the U.S. Olympic Genome Project, an initiative developed for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The idea is to connect Americans with Olympians and Paralympians through social media tools. 

Photo: Samsung

The project is expected to launch in March 2012. There will be an online community ‘of like-minded individuals’ as said in the press release. Being the Worldwide Olympic Partner for wireless communications equipment, Samsung created the Genome Project to provide people with an immersive experience and inspire them with the spirit of the Olympic Games.

“The Genome Project is a completely digital idea at its core. Very simply, it’s an app that will be available on Facebook that builds a ‘family tree’ that shows how you are connected to Olympic athletes,” said Ralph Santana, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Samsung Electronics America. “This is a transformational idea because it uses the power of discovery – a sense of curiosity about how you’re connected to athletes – to weave together a community that’s passionate about the Olympic Games.”

Facebook platform is also involved: members of the Genome community will be able to see what they have in common with athletes and share that information with their Facebook friends.

Fans will also be able to raise their Olympic ‘status’ or profile by creating new athlete connections as the Team USA athletes will be able to use this platform to share information about themselves, raise awareness of their sport, keep devoted fans up to date on their training and even raise funds to support their efforts.

The interactive app will also allow users to complete actions such as ‘checking in’ at real-world Olympic events, and more.

Samsung, whose 2012 Olympic’s Ambassador is David Beckham, will use its experience and technologies to celebrate the spirit of community and sportsmanship.