While not as meme-worthy or dramatic as Paris ‘24, the electrifying atmosphere of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was a landmark moment for sports in the pandemic era––one where every split-second counted. Athletes pushed themselves to the very edge of human performance, with many races coming down to just a few thousandths of a second.

The difference between standing atop the podium or watching from the sidelines often boiled down to the precise moment a foot hit the finish line or a hand touched the pool wall. This wasn’t just about who was fastest—it was about capturing that moment with absolute certainty, ensuring every competitor got the recognition they deserved. The men's 100m sprint final, for example, saw Italy's Lamont Marcell Jacobs claim gold by the narrowest of margins, while the women's 4x100m relay had viewers on the edge of their seats as the USA edged out Great Britain by just 0.01 seconds for silver. 

These unforgettable moments highlighted the critical role of precision timing, a responsibility that falls on the shoulders of Alain Zobrist and his team at Swiss Timing for Omega. Zobrist has been in the time game for a while; born and raised in Switzerland, with a solid background in economics and marketing, he spent over 15 years climbing the ranks at Omega before stepping into his current role in late 2014. His journey included a stint as Head of Global Sports Marketing, where he honed his skills and developed a deep understanding of what it takes to deliver precision on the world’s biggest stage. 

Zobrist leads a team that’s responsible for making sure every race, every jump, and every throw is measured with pinpoint accuracy. It’s a role that combines his passion for sports with a keen eye for detail, ensuring that Omega’s legacy in sports timing continues to set the standard. In a brief chat with us, Zobrist opens up about the challenges of timekeeping at the Olympics, the AI innovations that keep Omega at the cutting edge, and what it takes to manage such a high-stakes operation. Excerpts: 

Omega has been the official timekeeper for the Olympics since 1932. How has the role evolved over the decades, and what unique challenges do you anticipate for the Paris 2024 Games? 

The main challenge is the size of the job. At Paris 2024, there are 329 events in 32 different sports and OMEGA needs to be an expert in every single one. But that’s the unique advantage of our heritage. We have 92 years of experience. Although we began with 30 stopwatches in 1932, today we have 350 tonnes of equipment in Paris. So, everything has evolved thanks to OMEGA, and we are the best positioned company in the world to fulfil this role. 

Can you elaborate on the latest innovations Omega has introduced in sports timekeeping for the Paris 2024 Olympics? How do these advancements improve the accuracy and experience for athletes and viewers? 

First of all, we have a new photofinish camera called the Scan’O’Vision ULTIMATE. It can take 40,000 images per second on the finish line of races. Our previous generation could take 10,000 images per second, so it was already a high standard of precision, but the ULTIMATE now makes the decision-making much faster for the judges, and the images much clearer. 

Then, of course, we are introducing more Computer Vision technology – which allows us to capture a wide range of performance data. With special cameras set up around the venues, we can feed our AI systems and provide in-depth information such as the live speed of a volleyball, the reaction time of a tennis player, and even the angle of a gymnast’s feet. This really allows us to analyse the sports in a new way, and pinpoint exactly where each event was won or lost. 

What does the preparation process for the Olympics entail for Omega Timing? Can you give us a behind-the-scenes look at the logistics and coordination involved in setting up the timekeeping systems? 

Because we have editions in Summer and Winter, the Olympic and Paralympic Games takes place for us every two years. So, as you can imagine, it’s a full-time job. We have around 400 people working at OMEGA Timing, with experts in many different sports. The logistics are certainly challenging, but we have a very strong relationship with the IOC and also the individual organisations for each sport. There’s a great network of support that means we can achieve the task successfully. 

Different sports require varying levels of precision in timekeeping. How does Omega ensure accuracy across a diverse range of Olympic events, from swimming to cycling? 

Precision comes in many forms. Since 1932, OMEGA has developed unique systems for each sport to capture the results accurately. It really highlights our innovation and the versatility of what we do. Some technologies work across multiple sports. For example, in athletics and track cycling, we have the ULTIMATE photofinish camera. In swimming and climbing, we have touchpads that allow the athletes to automatically stop their own time. In archery we have cameras that can automatically pinpoint the position of the arrow. In fencing, we have sensor systems on the athletes’ uniforms that detect a strike. For OMEGA, precision is a passion  that we can express in so many ways.  

Omega handles vast amounts of data during the Olympics. How do you ensure that this data is processed, formatted, and distributed in real time to broadcasters and other stakeholders? 

As I mentioned, AI is playing a big role today in our timekeeping. Today, our Computer Vision cameras around the venues feed AI software, which is trained for each individual sport to detect the motion of the athletes. This data is then immediately processed and sent to the OBS (Olympic Broadcast Service) who may include specific graphics in the international broadcast feed. 

How do extreme weather conditions, such as the high temperatures in Tokyo or the freezing cold in Beijing, affect your equipment, and what measures are taken to ensure reliability under these conditions? 

In the past, this was sometimes a problem. There’s a story from Sarajevo 1984, when it was so cold that our OMEGA scoreboards froze overnight. The timekeepers had to bring their hotel hairdryers to defrost them! But today, we have the innovation to cope with the fluctuation of temperatures and protect our equipment.  

The role of OMEGA Timing involves a significant team effort. Can you tell us more about the team dynamics and the expertise required to execute such a monumental task successfully? 

The days of stopwatches and mechanical timekeeping is long gone. So, timekeeping today really demands a lot of technical experts and software designers. Then, you need people who have an understanding of sport and the requirements of being an athlete. I would say our team is very diverse in skillset. Overall, we are all innovators, and share our ideas to achieve the best outcomes. 

Looking ahead, what future technologies and innovations do you foresee in the field of sports timekeeping? How is Omega preparing to maintain its leadership in this critical aspect of the Olympics? 

Storytelling is the future of timekeeping. By that, I mean the measurement of performance data that reveals the full story of an event. It goes back to what I was saying before about our Computer Vision and AI systems. We’re really at the beginning of this revolution, but it’s very exciting for the future. My hope is that we’ll be able to compare athlete performances and really scrutinize every detail to show the world exactly where each athlete excels in their sport.