Curations: 4 of Richard Mille’s athletic partners strike gold at the Tokyo Olympics, equipped with competition-ready timepieces during history-making performances
- Heptathlete Nafi Thiam, golfer Nelly Korda, dressage rider Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim each stood out at the Games
- World champion fencer and former Olympian Miles Chamley-Watson becomes the newest addition to the Swiss watchmaker’s family of athletes
It may not come as a surprise to learn that Richard Mille made several appearances on the medals podium during the Tokyo Olympic Games. After all, the Swiss luxury brand is not only known for its sporty, performance-engineered timepieces, but it also counts numerous world-class athletes among its partners.
Richard Mille watches could be spotted in action on the wrists of competitors at several events during this year’s Games, from the track to the golf links. Four of the brand’s family of athletes captured gold, setting milestones in their respective sports and even creating an iconic Olympic moment in the process.
Belgium’s Nafi Thiam won her second heptathlon gold medal in Tokyo, racking up 6,791 points to defend her title first earned in Rio five years ago. The 27-year-old is only the second woman ever to become a back-to-back Olympic champion in the event.
While competing, Thiam wore a classic Richard Mille design: the RM 007, which originally debuted in 2005 as the brand’s first automatic watch for women. This titanium timepiece is able to endure the demands of the heptathlon’s seven disciplines, reflecting her winning mindset.
“Heptathlon is a sport that demands a certain mental resilience,” she says. “You can’t fall apart; you have to know how to pull yourself together.”
German dressage rider Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, meanwhile, had a remarkable Olympic debut in Tokyo, striking double gold with her horse TSF Dalera BB. One medal was for the team competition, and the other for individual dressage.
“From the very first to the very last second, Dalera was 100 per cent with me,” says the 35-year-old champion, who relied on a close bond with her horse to accomplish the winning performances.
Also accompanying von Bredow-Werndl throughout her Olympic journey was the RM 07-01 women’s watch made of Carbon TPT, a composite material that is lightweight yet strong. It features the in-house calibre CRMA2, a skeletonised automatic movement that includes a variable-inertia balance to maintain exacting performance – a feature well-suited for the precision required in this equestrian sport.
