Like other timed sports, speedskating is decided often by mere fractions of a second. To amplify those photo finishes and minute details that can make or break a skater’s time, Omega has technology at the Olympics in Pyeongchang.
That technology includes a light- and sound-emitting starting gun and a digital lap counter, but most of the trappings will be positioned near the finish line — or on the skaters themselves.
Transponders located on the athletes’ uniforms will beam individual and comparative speed data to Omega’s timekeepers, as well as to arena scoreboards and viewers’ TV sets. The athletes can also use this info after their race to analyze their performance.