(Quality Digest: June 2, 2009) -- Chicago may or may not host the 2016 Summer Olympics, but the Windy City will serve as the location for the 2009 Artel Pipette Olympics. Not a sport for the overly caffeinated, the Pipette Olympics will be held at Artel's booth at the The Clinical Lab Exposition, hosted by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), July 19-23, in Chicago. Artel is a leading company in liquid handling quality assurance.

Participants will put their liquid dispensing skills to the test as they compete against the top pipettors of the AACC. Only the best make it to the Olympics and Artel wants to ensure this; preparation is key. Artel is providing all participants with a training kit so that they are in top competition shape for the day of the event.

Beyond the Olympic training kit, competitors will have the opportunity to receive special coaching from possible judges to better increase their chances of taking home the gold. It’s rumored that during these coaching sessions the optimal pipetting technique may be shared with competitors.

Participants may compete as teams or individuals. Events include individual single-channel pipette, individual multiple-channel pipette, and team single-channel. Each day will produce a new set of individual medalists, but teams will be evaluated at the conclusion of the week.

Winning is all in the accuracy of delivery. A team or individual wins by earning the lowest coefficient of variation (CV) score of all its competitors. Last year, the top individual winner of each day won a $50 gift card to L.L. Bean. The top three teams that medaled were awarded $300, $200, and $100 L.L. Bean gift cards respectively.

During any downtime, there are plenty of attractions to keep competitors occupied. Other Olympic attractions will include the showcasing of new training tools and programs that will aid pipettors in their everyday lives and help them prep for next year’s Olympic games.

On a side note, if your luggage is lost or you misplace your pipetting equipment in transit to the games, don’t worry. Artel will provide the necessary tools for any team without their instruments.

For more information visit www.artel-usa.com