IRELAND’S athletes might struggle to win a medal in Beijing next month, but the Olympics have already proved a triumph for one Irishman, writes Eithne Shortall.

John Walsh, a Cavan-born composer who has penned the music for Guinness advertisements and the theme tune for RTE’s Premiership coverage, has orchestrated the soundtrack to the Olympic Games 2008 commercial.

The advert, filmed in the style of a high-paced action film, will air in 26 countries in the run-up to the opening ceremony on August 8. It features athletes such as Roger Federer, who lost this year’s Wimbledon final, and Asafa Powell, the former 100m world record holder.

The commercial has been dubbed into a number of languages. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) commissioned Walsh after seeing an advert he did for the Spanish national lottery.

“The production people saw the lotto advert and got in touch. I’ve been working in Ireland for the last 10 years, so I have a fairly good portfolio of work,” Walsh said.

Walsh, now based in Dublin, trained as a classical musician and has played in rock bands and worked as a studio producer. He has written music for several high-profile television campaigns including the Jameson Film Festival commercial featuring hundreds of director chairs rushing to the cinema, the Guinness advert detailing explorer Tom Crean’s journey to Antarctica, and campaigns by Dairygold, Bailey’s and VHI Healthcare.

He scored the title music for RTE’s World Cup, Six Nations and The Premiership programmes. The Olympics campaign is his most profitable project to date.

Entitled “Heroes”, the commercial presents the world’s top athletes as a mix of ancient gladiators and modern super-heroes battling for control of the universe.

It opens with a white-haired man in the centre of a coliseum. He welcomes competitors, saying: “The time has come, all eyes are on you.” The athletes, dressed mainly in black leather, proceed to demonstrate their sporting skills in adverse weather conditions.

Walsh used his keyboard to create a “virtual orchestra” by individually inserting the sounds of cymbals, cellos, drums and violins.

“I had to create the sound to go with the idea of being the very best that you can be. There’s been a lot of negative coverage of the Games regarding China so it was very important for the International Olympic Committee to send out a positive image. These athletes, regardless of race or religion, are the best in their field. If we all took notice of that in everyday life, great things could be achieved,” he said.

All of the athletes featured in the broadcast did so free of charge. The marketing group was particularly pleased to attract Federer, who is shown leaping from a rooftop and smashing meteorites with his tennis racket. Powell is shown sprinting alongside horses.

Carolina Kluft, the Swedish long jumper and current Olympic heptathlon champion, Paula Radcliffe, the British long-distance runner and holder of the world marathon record and current world marathon champion, and Yao Ming, a Chinese basketball player, also make appearances.

Walsh said he had found the “sheer physicality” of the advert moving.

“The small bit of sport in me realised that it takes determination and drive and that life can be like that because you’re constantly pushing yourself to the limit,” he said.

The IOC said its promotional campaign objective was to communicate the “key Olympic values” of excellence, friendship and respect to a global youth audience.

It said it wanted to encourage young people to participate in sport by proving that sport can bring out their best.

The advert is expected to premiere on Irish screens next week and to continue running until the Olympics begin.

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