Citius, altius, fortius?

Women love shoes and bags, while men love cars and timepieces. Ever wonder why men love watches? They are the only jewelry men can wear, and a pair of diamond earrings would not be appropriate.

So when a man is contemplating investing in another timepiece, the partner complains, “Sweetheart, you have so many timepieces at home in the vault and some in the bank; why do you need to buy another one?” A good response I used on the Ilocana some years back is, “But honey, I need more time!” This line no longer works for me, so I am sharing it with you.

The original Olympic motto is composed of three Latin words: Citius, Altius, Fortius. These words mean “Faster, Higher, Stronger.” This motto is aptly illustrated by the way Omega served as the Olympics’ official timekeeper.

Joanne Glasbey, writing for The Times, shared a fascinating article on how a well-known and respected watch brand managed to change with the times, as witnessed by millions worldwide during the recently concluded Olympic Games. It is titled: “How Omega tracked time at the Olympics,” with a subtitle that reads: “Winning gold by one-millionth of a second.”

Omega, the Swiss watchmaker, has served as the official Olympic timekeeper for nearly a century, playing a pivotal role in the evolution of sports timing technology. Their journey began in 1932 when they were chosen as the sole timekeeper for the Games. Omega sent a single watchmaker from their headquarters in Bienne, Switzerland, to Los Angeles, armed with 30 high-precision stopwatches. These stopwatches, accurate to a tenth of a second, were recalibrated nightly in the watchmaker’s hotel room, ensuring precise measurements for the next day’s events.

This year, for its 31st appearance as the Olympic timekeeper, Omega brought its most advanced technology to date to Paris. They delivered 350 tons of equipment, including 200 km of cables and optical fibers, 85 public scoreboards, 350 sport-specific scoreboard, and 550 timekeepers, along with on-site professionals. Omega’s commitment to precision and innovation was evident in the adopted technology, which ensured the most accurate timing and results for the Games.

Glasbey points out that at the earliest modern Olympics in 1896, runners were supplied with trowels to dig their starting blocks. It wasn’t until 76 years ago that the electronic era arrived, with Omega’s first photofinish camera and photoelectric cells. The pace picked up in 1956 when swimming was revolutionized with semi-automatic timers and in 1968 with the familiar touchpads – since Tokyo 2020, touchpads have also been used in speed climbing, positioned at the top of the wall.

Meanwhile, false start detection systems were built into starting blocks in athletics in 1984. In the days of a traditional starting pistol, athletes positioned in the furthest lanes from the starter heard the shot a crucial fraction of a second later than those in the closest lanes. Omega’s electronic pistol was connected to speakers positioned behind each racer. When the trigger is depressed, a light flash emits, and a start pulse is given to the timing device. A sound is played behind each athlete, giving them an equal start.

In 2012, Omega replaced traditional stopwatches with quartz-driven Quantum Timers, capable of splitting time to a millionth of a second. Recently, they introduced motion-sensing and positioning systems that capture live data on speed, position, acceleration and trajectory for athletes throughout their performance.

At the Paris Olympics, Omega unveiled the next generation of photo finish technology with the Scan-O-Vision Ultimate. This advanced camera captures up to 40,000 digital images per second at the finish line, delivering ultra-precise results for track and cycling events.

Then there’s the performance data. Computer Vision Technology uses single or multi-camera systems feeding AI models programmed specifically for each sport, allowing sport-specific insights. No longer do physical tags need to be attached to athletes in wearable tech to get the information. The data produced provides for in-depth analysis, revealing blow by blow how a race was won or lost.

In the beach volleyball events in Paris, high-definition cameras tracked the athletes and the ball as it flew through the air, recording jump heights, smashes and unique player techniques. In pole vault, the gap between the athlete and the bar was automatically measured, while in gymnastics, the exact angles of a gymnast’s feet were detected thanks to AI-based skeleton tracking.

Whew! All these advanced technologies deliver precise, real-time data, minimizing the chances of errors. With the comprehensive information generated, there’s little room for disputes, protests or challenges to referee decisions. This makes me think: Could technology like this be used in the workplace so that performance reviews would no longer be an object of conflict or contention?

Citius, altius, fortius?

(Francis Kong’s “Inspiring Excellence” podcast is now available on Spotify, Apple, Google, or other podcast streaming platforms).