Pre-race Animation for Athletics Championships | HKAAA

Pre-race Animation for Athletics Championships | HKAAA

3D Animation / Anime　｜　2026

3D Character ModelingAnimation

Our team produced pre-race videos for the Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates (HKAAA) for the "East Asian U20 Athletics Championships 2025", letting spectators learn about each event while enjoying maximum visual impact. Rendered in 3D with a 2D look, the videos use anime elements to create highly dynamic sequences that push the competition atmosphere to its peak.

The pre-race videos were played during the warm-up for each event.
The pre-race videos were played during the warm-up for each event.
Run-up, release, and one final all-out throw! Speed lines combined with slow motion give the action tremendous impact.
Run-up, release, and one final all-out throw! Speed lines combined with slow motion give the action tremendous impact.
Women's 100m.
Women's 100m.
Men's high jump.
Men's high jump.

Character Design

The characters were all modeled on real athletes, though after anime-style stylisation they are basically unrecognisable.

Anime-style character references.
Anime-style character references.
Earlier female athlete character design.
Earlier female athlete character design.
Earlier male athlete character design.
Earlier male athlete character design.
Character motion preview after conversion to 3D.
Character motion preview after conversion to 3D.
Final character designs.
Final character designs.

Venue Creation

The organisers also provided venue information. The team recreated the venue's outline using a 1:1 map of Hong Kong, adding detail only within the stadium area.

Wan Chai Sports Ground environment reference.
Wan Chai Sports Ground environment reference.
Panorama of the area around Wan Chai Sports Ground.
Panorama of the area around Wan Chai Sports Ground.
Panorama of Wan Chai Sports Ground, focusing only on the track and field.
Panorama of Wan Chai Sports Ground, focusing only on the track and field.
Seen from the left, the foliage is just a flat texture, but this is completely unnoticeable in the final video.
Seen from the left, the foliage is just a flat texture, but this is completely unnoticeable in the final video.
The grass is rendered according to the camera, greatly reducing render time.
The grass is rendered according to the camera, greatly reducing render time.

3D Compositing Effects

This time the team added a physics engine in Blender to give hair and ropes the most realistic motion paths. The effect is driven by a rig: a set path is defined first, then Limit Distance and Max Distance are added, allowing real-time computation during playback.

With Limit Distance and Max Distance.
With Limit Distance and Max Distance.
Without Limit Distance and Max Distance.
Without Limit Distance and Max Distance.
The same applies to the rope, but since it is longer and thinner than hair, it flows even more gracefully when pulled.
The same applies to the rope, but since it is longer and thinner than hair, it flows even more gracefully when pulled.

Character Merchandise

The team also created chibi-style merchandise for the characters, hoping everyone will remember not only the characters but also to stay active.

The merchandise mainly features the female athlete and comes in two types, charms and acrylic stands; the charm is printed with "Remember to drink water".
The merchandise mainly features the female athlete and comes in two types, charms and acrylic stands; the charm is printed with "Remember to drink water".

A Late Studio Production

Pre-race Animation for Athletics Championships | HKAAA

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