Beijing takes timing to the wire

Beijing takes timing to the wire
By Michael Bristow
BBC News, Beijing
AP
Swimming races can be tricky events to time accurately

Blood, sweat and tears offered by athletes in their efforts to go ever faster would count for nothing without one thing - accurate timekeeping.

When a fraction of a second makes the difference between winning and losing, timekeepers have to be as focused as the athletes themselves.

At the Beijing Olympics this summer, the job of timing the event's wide range of sporting competitions falls to Swiss watchmaker Omega.

It plans to introduce a series of technological innovations that will produce more accurate times than those recorded at Athens in 2004.

Swim plan

Improving timing equipment for sporting events is a constant task, said Christophe Berthaud, Omega Timing's chief executive.


You cannot say to an athlete who has just run the 1500m 'Sorry there was something wrong, can you do it again?'
Christophe Berthaud, Omega
"There is a permanent evolution with the technology," he said while in Beijing for a swimming test event at the new "water cube" Olympic venue.

"As athletes improve, performances are getting closer and closer so you have to introduce technology that is more and more accurate."

Recording performance times ever more accurately often means looking at the beginning and the end of races, according to Mr Berthaud.

"What is difficult is not measuring the time when they are in the pool - that's easy," he said, referring to swimming events.

"Having the maximum accuracy at the beginning and the end is what makes the difference."

Omega was trialling a new starting block for swimmers at the recent test event. It is being given to national teams to try out over the coming months.

This new block allows swimmers to start a race with their legs bent at 90 degrees - the angle that ensures the best start.

Every starting block will also be fitted with a speaker to ensure that each swimmer will hear the start signal at exactly the same time.

In other events at the Beijing Olympics, Omega will also present information in new ways to allow spectators to better understand what is going on.
AP
Omega plans to use GPS to help follow sailing events
In sailing, for example, it is often difficult for spectators on shore to know what is going on in a race.

The Global Positioning System will be used to relay information to viewers about exactly where one boat is in relation to another.

And in rowing, being able to accurately position a competitor will enable Omega to work out if one boat is catching another, and whether it will do so before the finish line.

Timing trouble

Developing new technology can ensure the right competitor gets the gold medal, but it sometimes gets timekeepers into trouble.

This happened when Omega introduced touch pads -- used to stop the clock -- to swimming events in 1967.

Shortly after one event this new technology led to judges disqualifying Australian swimmers.

"That night the Swiss timekeeping officials were almost run down in the parking lot," said Joseph Panetta, a spokesman for Omega.

"They had to change hotels at midnight because people were threatening... them," he added.

"But it was because of this advent of technology that we could say they had cheated."

Future limit

Omega first began timing the Olympic Games at the Los Angeles event in 1932, when hand-held stop-watches were used.

China has been preparing for the Olympics for a long time
The firm's current contract extends until the London Olympics in 2012.

Mr Berthaud claimed there have been no mistakes while Omega has been in charge of timing, and nothing is being left to chance in Beijing.

Around 400 professional timekeepers and 1,000 volunteers will be responsible for timing performances in China.

There will be three timing systems in place: the main one and two back-ups.

"Getting a performance time is the most important thing," said Mr Berthaud, who arrived on time for his interview with the BBC.

"You cannot say to an athlete who has just run the 1500m, 'Sorry there was something wrong, can you do it again?'"

The goal of getting ever more accurate times at sports events is Mr Berthaud's passion, but even he admits there is a limit to what can be achieved.

One thousandth of a second represents about 1cm in the 100m.

"Is it worth measuring 1mm?" he said. "Probably not."