It’s the beginning of the end of one era in ski race timing and the start of a new one, as Swiss watch makers Longines, who provide the official timing for World Cup races, have moved to using data chips attached to skiers’ boots to time their progress down the course, enhancing the traditional race timing triggered when the skier leaves the starting gate.
The new system was unveiled in Sölden this weekend, where Swiss racer Lara Gut won the World Cup season opener yesterday.
The chip attached to the skier’s boot, equipped with radar and motion sensors, means racers can be tracked in real time with continuous measurement of the athlete’s speed, acceleration and deceleration, the time it takes to reach 100kph and an analysis of jumps.
Matthias Mayer of Austria (first place) Adrien Theaux of France (second place) and Kjetil Jansrud of Norway (third place) celebrate at the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Men’s Super Giant Slalom in Saalbach Hinterglemm, Austria on February 22nd, 2015
This data will be presented in the form of TV graphics to viewers at home, to the spectators attending the competitions and to the athletes themselves, helping them analyse their performances with greater precision than ever before.
Longines, who have been involved in alpine ski racing since 1933, plan to officially launch their new technology during the FIS 2017 Alpine World Ski Championships in St Moritz, for which the company is an official partner and the official watch.
