PANASONIC EQUIPMENT USED TO ANALYZE USA LUGE TEAM Using a rugged Toughbook(R) computer and digital camcorder supplied by Panasonic, members of the USA Luge Team analyze their teammates progress on the Luge track at the 2002 Winter Games. Today, the USA Luge team captured bronze and silver medals for their country. (PRNewsFoto)[AS] SECAUCUS, NJ USA

    SECAUCUS, N.J., Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The USA Luge team won two medals
today on the slopes of Park City, Utah. The team of Mark Grimmette and Brian
Martin slid to the silver, while Chris Thorpe and Clay Ives brought home the
bronze medal. In these highly competitive events, technology can provide the
winning edge. Panasonic is proud to serve as the Official Audio/Video
Technology Supplier to USA Luge.  The company supplied the U.S. Luge team with
a variety of digital electronic products to be used after the Games at the
team's training facilities at Lake Placid, NY, and in Park City, Utah, the
site of the 2002 luge competition.
    (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020215/NYF081 )
    Luge is the fastest of all the Winter sports.  In a competition where
instant analysis is a major asset to coaches and athletes alike, Panasonic
supplied Palmcorder(R) digital camcorders, digital still cameras, Triple
Play(TM) 27" Television/DVD/VCR combination units, and ruggedized Toughbook(R)
laptop computers.  The Toughbook laptops were specifically chosen for their
durability and ability to operate outdoors under extreme temperature
conditions.
    A luge run drops 30 stories from top to bottom and is approximately one
mile in length.  The luge, a small, one or two-person sled, can reach speeds
up to 90 miles per hour, making it difficult for coaches to view an athlete's
progress with the naked eye.  The use of digital camcorders allows the coaches
to record each run and analyze it on the TV/VCR/DVD combination units and
laptops, using the unique Dartfish(TM) software, a program that enables a
slider to examine each run in stop action and by overlaying one athlete over
another.
    "In a sport timed to the thousandth of a second (the only sliding sport so
timed), technology plays a critical role in training and analysis," said Dan
Smith, trainer and strength-conditioning coach for USA Luge. "Thanks to
Panasonic's recognition of the role of technology in the sport of luge, we
have increased our training knowledge and can now instantly study the
technical intricacies of a run. The combination of the rugged Toughbook
computer and digital camcorder allows us to review a run right on the
mountain."
    "Not only will this equipment benefit our national team, but there is a
terrific application in using the video technology to train our junior
athletes," said Duncan Kennedy, coach of the USA Luge junior development team.
"These young sliders benefit greatly, not only by watching video of
themselves, but also of the more experienced Olympic caliber athletes. With
the availability of the Dartfish video training software, the technology can
only help them improve."
    "We are very proud to be associated with the USA Luge Association," said
Don Iwatani, Chairman and CEO, Matsushita Electric Corporation of America.
"It is indeed a privilege to provide these American athletes, who are
motivated simply by the desire to race and to compete, with our video and
audio technology. Everyone at Panasonic feels a part of the luge team and we
are both proud and excited for the medal success of Mark, Brian, Chris and
Clay."
    Panasonic consumer products are marketed in the United States by Panasonic
Consumer Electronics Company.  The company is a division of Matsushita
Electric Corporation of America (MECA), the principal North American
subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., (NYSE: MC) of Japan,
one of the world's largest producers of innovative electronic and electric
products for consumer, business and industrial use.  The Toughbook(R) laptop
computer is marketed by Panasonic Computer Solutions Company.  A unit company
of MECA, it is the leading provider of computer solutions designed for the
professional user, including Fortune 1000 businesses and government offices.
Panasonic also supplies mobile computing solutions to over 1300 police
departments in the United States.

    TOP TEN LUGE FACTS:

     *  Luge is the only sliding sport measured in 1/1000th's of a second.

     *  Luge was introduced as an Olympic sport during the '64 Games in
        Innsbruck, Austria.

     *  USA Luge has won more than 250 medals, internationally, over the last
        13 years.

     *  USA Luge won silver and bronze medals in the doubles event of the '98
        Nagano, Japan Games, marking the first time a nation outside of Europe
        or the former Soviet Union claimed an Olympic Luge medal.

     *  Luge is the French word for sled.  It's called rodel in Germany.

     *  Sturz is the German word for crash.

     *  The U.S. is the home of the world's two newest luge tracks.  They're
        located in Park City, Utah, the home of the February competition, and
        Lake Placid, N.Y., the site of both the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic
        Games.

     *  The average luge run has a vertical drop of 30 stories.

     *  A maximum of only 110 luge athletes are allowed to compete.

    The fastest sport in the Winter Olympic Games, luge is timed to the
1/1000th of a second.  The luge can reach speeds of up to 90 mph, making it
virtually impossible for coaches to view an athlete's progress with the naked
eye.  Panasonic technology plays a critical role in training and analysis for
the USA Luge Team, with products like high-resolution digital camcorders that
automatically adjust for jitter; digital cameras with removable SD Memory
Cards for networking capabilities; Toughbook laptop computers that can
withstand constant handling in harsh weather conditions; and bright television
monitors and TV-combination products to view practice runs.
Panasonic is proud to be the Official Audio/Video Technology Supplier for the
USA Luge Team.

                Panasonic Equipment List For The USA Luge Team

          PV-DV701 Palmcorder(R) High Resolution Digital Camcorders
                     with Built-In Digital Still Cameras

   SD Memory Card Compatible 3.3 Mega-pixel ipalm(TM) Digital Still Cameras

                            Digital Video Printers
     Road Show(TM) AC/DC 9-inch TV/VCR Combos with Radio and Alarm Clock

                  Triple Play(TM) 27-inch TV/DVD/VCR Combos

                       27-inch and 13-inch Televisions

                        Toughbook(R) laptop computers

                      PT-L6000 Portable Video Projector

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