In Rome on August 27, 1960, a ceremony took place where some highly contested gold medals were presented. On the men’s 100-meter freestyle swimming event, Australian swimmer John Devitt and American swimmer Lance Larson simultaneously achieved a tie for first place with an identical finish time of 55.2 seconds. Solely Devitt emerged victorious, claiming the coveted gold medal.
To accurately time swimmers, a system utilizing three timers per lane, each equipped with a stopwatch, was employed, and the median time recorded. In an unusual circumstance, a tie arose, necessitating the intervention of a neutral arbiter. Hans Runströmer, a respected expert from Sweden, was summoned to render a decision. Despite Larson’s marginally better time, Runströmer deemed the two performances essentially equal and awarded the victory to Devitt.
By 1968, a long-standing controversy prompted Omega to develop contact boards at the ends of swimming lanes, eliminating the risk of human error as athletes could rely on accurate electronic timing, thereby rendering self-timing obsolete.
As the head of Omega’s 400-strong department dedicated to providing solutions for various sports-related applications, Alain Zobrist is well-stocked with anecdotes about his team’s impressive work.
To address this disparity, starting with the 2024 season, digital pistols will be linked to speakers situated behind each athlete in staggered-lane events like the 400-meter dash. This means that athletes in the farthest lane, who previously heard the starting pistol a fraction later than those nearest the gun, will now receive an equal start.
When photography first emerged in the 1940s, it could take nearly two hours for a photographer to review their work because they had to wait for film development to finish. Omega’s latest technology enables the swift review of up to 40,000 digital photographs per second, allowing judges to render a verdict in mere minutes.
With a reputation for precision that’s spanned decades, Swiss Timing has transcended mere timekeeping to become an integral part of the racing landscape. Despite the omnipresent Omega brand on timing machines at every Olympics since 1932, with the exception of Seiko’s brief involvement in 1964 and 1992, Swiss Timing’s role goes far beyond just starting and stopping events. “We delve into the narrative of the competition, transcending mere victory,” Zobrist notes. The narrative surrounding Paris 2024 has become increasingly complex with many more plot threads than previously.
“For us, 2018 marked a turning point,” Zobrist notes. As wearables became integrated with athlete attire, our understanding of performance metrics evolved, enabling a comprehensive assessment of what happens between the starting gun and crossing the finish line.
