From the mechanical clock mounted on a bicycle, the Olympic timekeeping system has evolved rapidly, now providing accuracy to the millionth of a second.
The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece in 1896, with rudimentary timing. For example, in the marathon, Spyridon Louis won with a time of 2 hours 58 minutes 50 seconds. The time was calculated by a mechanical clock mounted on a bicycle and run a short distance ahead to monitor and record. Of course, this process has a certain error. Such observation and timing were carried out for the next few decades in timed sports.
Omega's "Timekeeper" room at an Olympic Games.
In 1932, at the 10th Olympic Games in Los Angeles (USA), Omega from Bienne (Switzerland) brought 30 certified stopwatches to serve this Olympics, marking a major change with the precision measuring system. This is also Omega's early legacy as a "timekeeper" for the Olympics.
"It was the first time a dedicated stopwatch was used at the Olympics to measure the results of athletes. Omega changed the game," Alain Zobrist, head of Swiss Timing - a brand of The Swatch Group along with Omega and specializing in providing timing solutions at sporting events, told Sharp Magazine.
The 30 stopwatches recorded the results of more than 100 sports matches, including 17 world records. This also reinforced Omega's reputation as a world-leading watch manufacturer.
For the next nine decades, Omega maintained its role as Timekeeper. At the 1948 St. Moritz Winter Olympics, the brand introduced another groundbreaking timekeeping technology: the photoelectric finisher.
Using a photoelectric cell, Omega's camera used a highly reactive beam of light to measure the results of a race to within 1/1,000th of a second. This was considered a major improvement over the finish tape used before.
Twenty years later, at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, Omega's electronic timing system was officially used in all sports. "It was the beginning of electronic systems replacing manual stopwatches," says Zobrist. "Not only did it make the competition fairer, but it also captured moments that were invisible to the naked eye."
Omega's technology became increasingly sophisticated and precise. In 2000, the company provided real-time results over the Internet. In 2006, it used chips attached to ice skaters to measure speed. In 2008, it introduced a real-time GPS mapping solution for marathon runners.
Quantum Timer and camera collect data.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Omega has raised the bar once again with the Quantum Timer, a quantum stopwatch that is accurate to one millionth of a second. The device has a built-in timer and buffer to ensure accuracy, and data is transmitted to an on-site computer.
With the Paris 2024 Olympics underway, Omega is bringing more than 350 tons of state-of-the-art equipment, from touchpads and 4K cameras to miles of cables to share athletes' results with the world in real time. The Quantum Timer continues to be upgraded with AI for greater sensitivity and in-depth data collection.
Beyond timing with the Quantum Timer, the company has also begun to use computer vision and AI technology for different sports, such as applying AI to detect movements to see if they are accurate and legal, analyzing ball direction, athlete speed and displaying real-time stats. In addition, the company is equipping the finish line camera for the first time, capable of capturing 40,000 images per second.
"The role of Timekeeper comes with a lot of responsibility. We can't afford to make any mistakes, and we can't tell someone who just ran a marathon, 'Sorry, the timer was wrong, please run again,'" Zobrist added. "Everything we do is always aimed at one goal: to help athletes share their dreams and record their emotions."