By David Gold at Westfield London Shopping Centre

taiwan collageAugust 28 - Taiwan has unveiled a showcase of innovative sports and leisure products which will be on display in the Atrium at the shopping centre here in Shepherd's Bush for the next four days.

Taiwan, which hosted the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung and stages the Universiade in 2017, is working hard at increasing its global sports profile and took the opportunity to launch the showcase on the eve of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

The South East Asian nation is putting on a show of its bicycles which have been the subject of a marketing campaign featuring prominently on the London underground since June 25, a month before the Olympics began.

That was designed to take advantage of the enthusiasm created by the Olympics, as well as the increased bike usage to avoid busy trains and buses during the Games.

Cycling was the sport in which Britain picked up the most gold medals during the Olympics, helping to spur increased bike usage and prompting more people than ever to take up the sport.

Some of the highlights of the new exhibition include the Giant TCR Advanced product line's model which was used by Dutchwoman Marianne Vos to claim the road race gold medal at the Olympics.

marianne vos_Giant_TCR_AdvancedMarianne Vos rides to the finish in the London 2012 women's cycling road race on her Giant TCR Advanced bicycle

Among the other products on show include the Sonostar Golf GPS, which helps golfers to navigate courses and manage their shots effectively.

"Following a hugely successful Olympic Games and an outstanding performance by Team GB, Britain has proved itself to be a true sporting nation," said Donald Lu, managing director of the Taiwan Trade Centre.

"With the Paralympic Games just around the corner, we want to demonstrate the wide range of innovative and cutting edge sports equipment that Taiwanese companies have to offer all aspiring athletes.

"Our technological knowhow combined with an awareness of what consumers want has meant we have continued to produce creative sports equipment and technology on a global scale."

Although the other Westfield in London is situated adjacent to the Olympic Park in Stratford, the Shepherd's Bush version was the first built in the British capital and also has a link to the Games' rich history.

The shopping mall is built near to the location of the White City stadium which played host to the Olympics the first time London staged the Games in 1908.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]