Timing technology improves Olympic performancesTiming technology improves Olympic performances

Colorado Springs, CO--"Timing is key in winter sports," says Tim Conrad of the U.S. Olympic Sport Science Technology Division. "During the summer, athletes race against each other. But in the winter, each athlete races against the clock." The Sport Science Technology Division developed infrared laser-based training programs, instant-feedback video programs, and millisecond accuracy checks to help athletes im-prove performance times.

The Potato Index. "The start time is probably the single most important part of a luge run," says Conrad. To help the athletes improve their time, Conrad and Tom Westernburg, also a principal engineer at the Sport Science Technology Division, developed a start-time training system.

The luge has a three-phase start: the push, the paddle, and the exit as the sled leaves the start ramp, says Westernburg. An indoor ice ramp, built at Lake Placid, NY, by York Engineering, measures each phase. Strain gages measure applied force from the start handles. The "potato" index measures paddling technique. Using a photoelectric system from Banner Engineering (Minneapolis, MN) and an LED retroflective sensor, the athlete's paddle time is measured against that of a sack of spuds. "We know the speed of a sack of potatoes traveling down the track," says Conrad. "So we compare the athlete's time at the top and bottom. If it is better than the sack of potatoes, then the paddling technique is good. If it is slower, then it needs to be improved."

Lasers on ice. For the short-track speed skating event, Conrad and Westernburg again developed a time-monitoring system to provide athletes with immediate feedback on their performance. They used a laser photoelectric system from Banner Engineering, where a visible laser beam is shot across the ice in the path of the skate blade. The skater's lap time, clocked to within 1/1,000 of a second, is publicized on a four-inch-high LED display. The whole system fits into a portable notebook computer case. "The motivation is tremendous," says Conrad. Athletes can see immediately what they did on one lap and can adjust their technique accordingly. Previously, the skaters relied on a crude stop-watch system.