The 2024 Winter Olympic Games in Milan are being redefined by technology. Advanced cameras, AI-powered analytics, and drone footage aren’t just enhancing the viewing experience — they’re fundamentally changing how athletes compete, how winners are determined, and how officials make decisions. This isn’t merely about faster timekeeping; it’s about quantifying athletic performance with unprecedented precision.
The Evolution of Timekeeping: From Stopwatches to 40,000 Frames Per Second
For nearly a century, the Olympics have served as a proving ground for timing technology. The shift began with automated starting gates in 1956, replacing human-held stopwatches. Today, Omega, the official timekeeper since 1932, is deploying cameras capable of capturing 40,000 frames per second, creating “photo finishes” accurate to fractions of a second in speed skating and other timed events.
These high-speed captures aren’t just for show. In the Men’s 1,000 meter Short Track Speed Skating event, athletes were separated by just 0.0002 seconds, a margin confirmed only by this technology. Similar margins decided qualification in Cross-Country Skiing, highlighting how these tools now dictate outcomes at the highest level of competition.
AI-Driven Analytics: Breaking Down Every Movement
Beyond pure timing, computer vision systems and AI models analyze data in real time. Athletes’ speeds, jump heights, blade angles (in figure skating), and positioning are broken down on-screen for viewers. This isn’t just entertainment; it’s a new layer of understanding for fans, analysts, and even the athletes themselves.
Figure skating now uses an array of 8K cameras and a Swiss Timing AI system to generate 3D models of each skater. These models assess jump height, airtime, landing speed, and blade angle—all factors that judges consider. The system can determine whether a skater completed a full rotation during a spin, affecting their final score.
The speed of this analysis is remarkable. According to Swiss Timing CEO Alain Zobrist, data is measured and displayed on-screen in less than one-tenth of a second —faster than the blink of an eye.
Sensors and Drones: Tracking Performance from Every Angle
Technology extends beyond the rink and track. Sensors embedded in skis and snowboards collect data on speed, acceleration, height, distance, and body positioning during big air events. This data helps coaches refine technique, and athletes share behind-the-scenes insights with fans.
Bobsledding benefits from “virtual photo finishes” created by combining snapshots taken at the end of each run. This composite view reveals milliseconds-level differences that determine race results.
Perhaps the most visible change is the presence of drones. A fleet of quadcopters and FPV drones are capturing perspectives impossible with traditional cameras, flying alongside athletes at high speeds. While immersive for viewers, some competitors like US snowboarder Bea Kim have voiced concerns about distractions and safety risks.
The Future of Olympic Judging
The data collected isn’t just for entertainment; it’s evolving into a tool for judging. Swiss Timing hopes to refine the technology to help judges make more “informed decisions” about athlete performance. This shift raises questions about the role of human judgment versus algorithmic analysis in elite sports.
The Olympics are becoming a testbed for advanced camera and filming technology. As athletic standards rise, Omega feels a “responsibility to keep up,” delivering equipment that separates margins with “undoubtable clarity.” This evolution isn’t just about making the Games more exciting; it’s about redefining how competition is measured, analyzed, and ultimately, won.
