OMEGA - Timekeeping Excellence at the Olympic Games
For over 90 years, OMEGA has been a proud partner of the Olympic games, recording precious sporting moments that are etched into the collective consciousness. Representing the pinnacle of the human spirit, the Olympic Games continue to inspire all of us through the daring feats of the athletes. A split second can mean the difference between Gold and Silver, meaning that the role of Official Timekeeper is paramount to OMEGA, who recognises the impact that results have on a participant, as well as the billions of viewers on the edge of their seats.
The 1932 Olympic Games
This edition of the Los Angeles Olympic Games would see OMEGA's first foray into timing the games. 30 stopwatches was all it took, carried by one OMEGA watchmaker from Bienne to Los Angeles. These stopwatches featured chronometer certification from the Neuchâtel Observatory, as well as a split seconds function, allowing intermediate times to be recorded. These watches would go on to cement OMEGA's reputation with the Olympic Games,
The Olympic Games in the Modern Age
Over time, OMEGA's involvement has increased tremendously, with new innovations that guarantee even greater precision, as well as more information and transparency to viewers across the world. OMEGA would go on to pioneer photo-finish technology, as well as sports-specific utilities that improved fairness in timekeeping for all athletes. A few of the key OMEGA timekeeping equipment for the upcoming Paris Olympic Games are outlined here:
The Electronic Starting Pistol
An equal start is vital in sports. But the problem with traditional pistols is that athletes in the furthest lanes hear the shot a fraction later than the closest lanes. Today, OMEGA’s electronic pistol is connected to speakers positioned behind each racer. When the trigger is pressed, a light flash is emitted, a start pulse is given to the timing device - and most importantly – a sound is played behind each athlete, giving them all an equal start.
Athletics Starting Blocks
As well as having integrated speakers, the starting blocks in athletics also feature built-in sensors that measure an athlete’s force against the footrest 4,000 times per second. The detection system instantly sends the force measurements to an on-site computer so that the starter can visually see any false start. The rules of World Athletics fix the minimum reaction time at 100 milliseconds (a tenth of a second). Any reaction which takes place below this limit is considered a false start. These starting blocks are also paired with the Electronic Starting Pistol for a fair start to the race.
The Quantum Timer
The modern version of a stopwatch. OMEGA’s Quantum Timer has an enhanced resolution of one millionth of a second. Driven by a micro crystal component imbedded in the timer, the resolution is 100 times greater than previous devices and, with a maximum variation of only one second out of every ten million seconds, it is five times more accurate.
Touchpads
At the end of a swimming race, the famous touchpads positioned at both ends of the pool allow swimmers to “stop the clock” by exerting a pressure of between 1.5 and 2.5 kg (3.3 and 5.5 pounds). It’s the most precise way to measure time in this challenging sport and OMEGA was responsible for first introducing the technology at the Olympic Games in 1968.Since Tokyo 2020, touchpads have also been introduced into speed climbing, positioned at the top of the wall.
Scan 'O' Vision Ultimate
At Paris 2024, OMEGA is proudly introducing the next generation of its essential photofinish technology. Now enhanced with the highest resolution of any photofinish camera on the market, the Scan‘O’Vision ULTIMATE can capture up to 40,000 digital images per second on the finish line of races. This will ultimately make it faster for judges to decide the result and separate close finishes with maximum clarity.
Producing a composite photo of every athlete crossing the line, it will determine the official results in athletics as well as track cycling.
Computer Vision Technology
Taking the next step in performance data, OMEGA will be tracking athletes and other objects throughout the events at Paris 2024 – in order to provide interesting and useful sets of metrics. Computer Vision uses a combination of single or multi-camera systems, each feeding Artificial Intelligence models that are specifically trained for each sport.
This technology will be used in a myriad of sports, including beach volleyball, diving, tennis, pole vault and gymnastics, enabling the visualisations of even the smallest margins that determine a win or a loss.
OMEGA continues its tradition of precision at the Olympic Games in Paris, from the 26th of July to the 11th of August, and at the Paralympic Games from the 28th of August to the 8th of September.