The Paris 2024 Olympic Games officially opened on 26 July. Once again the Official Timekeeper of the Games, Omega continues a 'history' that began way back in 1932.
It was 1932 when Omega provided the Los Angeles Olympics with a timekeeper and 30 chronographs certified by the Neuchâtel Observatory. It was the first time that a specific manufacturer was designated as timekeeper for all Olympic disciplines. Since then, the company has gained unrivalled experience in sports timekeeping and today is known for the unquestionable expertise of its timekeepers, its state-of-the-art systems and its consistently accurate, precise and reliable results.
For the Paris 2024 Olympics, Omega is deploying 550 timekeepers and 350 tonnes of equipment. At the last Tokyo 2020, the introduction of motion sensors and positioning systems made it possible to collect a wide range of data in real time, providing a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics that led to the victory of an event. In Paris, the next step: "Now, with new technologies and the use of artificial intelligence, we can detect the movement of an athlete and how his or her body moves during the race, tells Alan Zobrist, CEO of Omega Timing.
"We can count steps, understand at what time an athlete accelerates or decelerates and correlate that data with his previous performance or the performance of other athletes. It is not only available to athletes and coaches, but is also used to provide spectators watching performances on TV with additional information. In our innovation process, we work closely with athletes. The feedback we receive is very positive, not only from them but also from their coaches, who can then establish certain types of training'.
Omega Timing: a process of continuous innovation
At the Paris 2024 Olympics artificial intelligence and advanced technology.
In some sports such as diving and gymnastics there is always an element of execution that cannot be interpreted by a machine. And here the interaction between humans and technology is important. With specific cameras and the use of artificial intelligence, it will be possible, for example, to analyse a dive in minute detail: "We will analyse the athlete's complete jump and measure specific metrics.
The distance between the trampoline and the athlete's head is very important, because according to the rules, there is a reduction in points if the athlete's head is too close to the trampoline. A complete measurement can be made, including rotation, angles, dive speed and body alignments at impact. Until now, judges looked at performance and made very difficult decisions. Now in this way there is a clearer vision.
The Paris 2024 Olympics take place from 26 July to 11 August
Break dancing makes its debut at the Paris 2024 Games.
This is the third time in history that Paris will host the Olympic Games and the first for the Paralympic Summer Games. Some numbers? 329 is the total number of events that will take place during the 18-day event. 10,500 are the athletes, 206 the expected delegations, 28 traditional Olympic sports, from athletics to swimming and gymnastics, plus four other sports: rock climbing, skateboarding, surfing and, for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, the break dance. Omega has over 90 years of experience in the timekeeping role and arrives in Paris with the most advanced technology it has ever provided.
