Samsung is teaming up with the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to bring fans closer then ever to athlete training regiments with virtual reality.

Leading up to the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, a nine-stop Road to Rio Tour will circle the country, kicking off July 4th in Philadelphia. The tour stops will feature athlete meet and greets and Samsung Gear VR headsets, allowing fans to experience pole vaulting, beach volleyball, gymnastics, and diving in 360-degrees.

The 2015 USOC Road to Rio Virtual Reality Experience will also be available on Samsung Milk VR – a VR video platform for Gear VR.

The four-part VR video series gives viewers a closer look at how athletes are preparing for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Athletes featured include beach volleyball team members Lauren Fendrick and Brook Sweat, pole vaulter Mary Saxer, gymnast John Orozco, and gold-medal winning diver David Boudia. The videos were captured with a custom built 360-degree camera rig and in the case of diver David Boudia, filmed from the high dive and even underwater.

As the USOC continues to enhance their event marketing activations leading up to the Games, partnering with Samsung to build out a VR experience that is personal and compelling at the same time may be just what fans need, especially when all they really want to do is get closer to the action.

All Road to Rio Tour stops are free and open to the public. The tour will make the following stops in 2015-16:



DATE CITY LOCATION

July 4, 2015 Philadelphia, Pa. Ben Franklin Parkway

Sept. 5-6, 2015 San Diego, Calif. B Street Pier

Oct. 17-18, 2015 Boston, Mass. Weld Exhibition area

March, 2016 Los Angeles, Calif. TBD

April 27, 2016 New York, N.Y. Times Square

May 7-8, 2016 Oklahoma City, Okla. Boathouse and Bricktown district

June 24-25, 2016 Indianapolis, Ind. IUPUI Campus

July, 2016 Chicago, Ill. TBD

Aug. 5, 2016 Boston, Mass. TBD

Image Credit: TeamUSA & PurdueWSwim