Video: The Olympic Tech That Determines Who Wins Gold
United States' Nathan Adrian, right, and France's Florent Manaudou compete in a semifinal of the men's 50-meter freestyle during the swimming competitions of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Lee Jin-man/AP
This is much more than a stop watch.
In Olympic contests, the difference between the gold and silver can come down to 1/100 of a second. To determine who earns a place on the podium, extremely accurate technology must be in place.
Omega Timing, which serves as the official timekeepers of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, has debuted some new technology. Specifically, 480 timekeepers are deploying 450 tons of equipment.
This includes a more precise photo finish camera that takes 10,000 pictures per second, extremely sensitive touch pads at the end of swimming lanes and a laser detection system for the archery competition.
To learn more and see the tech in action, check out the video below from CNET: