When judges needed to determine who won Sunday's Olympic 100-meter race, they used advanced technology from Omega, featuring a camera that shoots 40,000 frames per second. This camera focused on the race's final millimetres, capturing when American Noah Lyles crossed the finish line, narrowly beating Jamaica's Kishane Thompson.
Omega has been the official timekeeper for the Olympics for decades, continually seeking new ways to measure athletes' performances accurately. This year's games saw the introduction of a faster, higher-resolution photo finish camera for track events. These new cameras take four times as many pictures per second as previous models, ensuring precise results even in the closest races.
The cameras are aimed at the last 5 millimetres of the track, capturing detailed images that allow judges to determine who crosses the line first. In Lyles' race, he and Thompson finished with an identical time of 9.79 seconds, making the photo finish crucial in deciding the winner.
Omega's efforts to measure Olympic events require extensive equipment and personnel. The company has 350 tons of gear spread across France and Tahiti, the surfing venue, and employs 550 timekeepers, 55 dedicated solely to athletics.
Despite relying on Windows laptops throughout its Olympic operations, Omega avoided the massive CrowdStrike glitch just before the games. Omega Timing CEO Alain Zobrist emphasized the company's commitment to cybersecurity and system integrity, ensuring their technology remains independent and resilient.
Looking ahead, Omega is beginning to integrate AI into its operations. While not yet used for judging, computer vision and machine learning are helping broadcasters and athletes gain a deeper understanding of performances. In swimming, cameras and sensors track swimmers' movements, using AI to analyze acceleration, deceleration, stroke count, and time in the water. Similarly, in tennis, computer vision assesses reaction times to serves and their impact on return quality.
Omega's innovative technology continues to enhance the accuracy and depth of performance analysis, setting new standards for precision in sports timing.