THE WINTER YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES LAUSANNE
For the first time since 1948, the Olympic Games have returned to Switzerland! And just like the event held in St. Moritz that year, OMEGA will again fulfil its role as Official Timekeeper.
The Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020 is a particularly exciting occasion for OMEGA. The host city is just over 100km from its watchmaking headquarters in Bienne and the brand is particularly looking forward to welcoming the multi-sport event back to its own home country!
Lausanne 2020 will mark the third edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games. From January the 9th, around 1,880 young athletes from over 70 nations will compete in 81 events around the city of Lausanne, on the shores of Lake Geneva, St. Moritz, Champéry and in the nearby Vaud Alps and the French and Swiss Jura mountains.
To time the stars of the future and share their results with the world, OMEGA will bring all of its legendary expertise to the competition. Since 1932, the brand has been the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games on 28 occasions and has served in the same role at all five of the previous Youth Olympic Games, which began in Singapore in 2010.
ABOUT THE YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES
This elite sporting event is for young people from all over the world and is distinct from other youth sports events because it also integrates a unique Culture and Education Programme (CEP), based around five main themes: Olympism, Social Responsibility, Skills Development, Expression and Well-being and Healthy Lifestyles.
Away from the field of play and through a variety of fun and interactive activities, workshops and team-building exercises, the CEP gives participating athletes the opportunity to learn about the Olympic values, explore other cultures and develop the skills to become true ambassadors of their sport. The sports programme is based on that of the Olympic Games, but also includes unique disciplines and formats, such as mixed gender and mixed National Olympic Committee (NOC) events.
OMEGA’S HISTORY AT THE YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES
Just like the Olympic Games, the Youth Olympic Games is held every two years. OMEGA has been the Official Timekeeper since the very beginning, welcoming new events and introducing new technology throughout the past decade.
Singapore 2010
(summer)
The inaugural edition of the Youth Olympic Games was held in Singapore with 3,524 athletes competing for glory. As the event approached, OMEGA set up two countdown clocks in historic parts of the city, including City Hall and Orchard Road. However, it was the performance of South African swimmer Chad le Clos that really caught the brand’s attention. He claimed five medals in the pool and was named an OMEGA ambassador the very next year.
Innsbruck 2012
(winter)
The youth competition turned its attention to winter sports in 2012, with the event being hosted in Austria. This made Innsbruck the first city to host three Olympic Games in winter. To time all of the 1,022 young athletes, OMEGA came equipped with its new Electronic Starting Pistol. The gun, which combines light and sound, had been introduced 2 years earlier at the Olympic Winter Games Vancouver 2010, and it is still a vital part of OMEGA’s equipment even today
Nanjing 2014
(summer)
It took around 80 tonnes of OMEGA equipment to time all of the 184 medal events at Nanjing 2014. This included the new sports of rugby, as well as golf, which happens to be one of OMEGA’s greatest passions. While spending time on the greens for golf’s return to the Olympic Games, the brand was also positioned at every venue in Nanjing, with 115 scoreboards to display the results.
Lillehammer 2016
(winter)
As part of the 70 events contested in Lillehammer, the dynamic sport of Monobob made its first appearance at the Youth Olympic Games, giving OMEGA yet another fast- paced sport to time. For other sports with close finishes, the new Scan’O’Vision MYRIA made its Olympic Games debut. The incredible photofinish camera, which can take up to 10,000 images per second, is now a common sight on finish lines throughout the world.
Buenos Aires 2018
(summer)
As 4,000 competitors arrived in Argentina’s capital for the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018, OMEGA joined the party with 235 timekeeping professionals of its own. Amongst the brand’s duties, were two new sports requiring a different way of thinking. This included Roller Speed Skating, for which OMEGA implemented its famous photofinish technology, as well Sport Climbing, which required special OMEGA climbing touchpads, allowing the athletes to stop their own time at the top of the wall.
NEW SPORTS AT LAUSANNE 2020
OMEGA’s timekeeping is ready for several new sports and disciplines amongst the Lausanne 2020 programme. Perhaps the most radical is ski mountaineering, a vertigo-inducing event which requires athletes to scale mountains and then ski back down. Other new sports have been introduced to reflect innovation and achieve full gender equality amongst the 1,880 competing athletes. These include women’s doubles luge competition and a Nordic combined ski event. Spectators will also be able to witness the first mixed-nationality 3×3 ice hockey event.
OMEGA’S TIMEKEEPING TECHNOLOGIES
OMEGA will arrive at Lausanne 2020 with 60 tonnes of equipment and 150 timekeeping professionals and technicians – who will be supported by 100 trained volunteers. Of course, almost all of these systems are the exact same that OMEGA uses at the Olympic Games and sp
The Starting Pistol
The modern starting pistol is a bright red electronic device that uses both sight and sound. When the starter presses its trigger, three things happen simultaneously:
– A light flash is emitted
– A start pulse is given to the timing device to set the time in motion.
– And a sound is played.
Look out for the pistols in events such as Cross-Country Skiing, Speed Skating and Short Track Speed Skating.
Scan’O’Vision MYRIA
OMEGA’s Scan’O’Vision MYRIA is the brand’s most advanced version of the famous photofinish camera. The equipment is set up at the finish line of events and can take up to 10,000 digital images per second. Each athlete’s image is captured by this device as he or she crosses the finish line and it is this information that the judges use to officially determine the champion of each race. The Scan’O’Vision MYRIA can be seen in many sports such as Cross-Country Skiing, Speed Skating, Short Track Speed Skating and Nordic Combined.
Photoelectric Cells
How can you accurately stop time at the end of a race? Photoelectric cells have been OMEGA’s answer since 1948. The cells project beams of light across the finish line of races and, when a competitor crosses, their finish time is automatically stopped.
In speed skating, for example, the cells are now just two or three centimetres above the ice. This ensures that the clock is stopped as soon as the winning competitor’s skate crosses the line. The system guarantees precision at the moment of victory and gives timekeepers the most accurate finishing time possible.
Transponders
The incredibly lightweight and discreet transponder equipment will be attached to each competitors’ left and right legs, making it possible for OMEGA to measure, record and display the intermediate times and rankings of the participating athletes and teams while the race is taking place.
SEAMASTER DIVER 300M
It takes precision, power and finesse to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games -the very same qualities that have been built into this exquisite timepiece from OMEGA. The legendary Seamaster Diver 300M has been an iconic part of the brand since 1993, and has been trusted for diving, sports and adventurous pursuits ever since then.
This modern 42 mm model is crafted from stainless steel and includes a black ceramic bezel with a white enamel diving scale. OMEGA has also used polished black ceramic for the beautiful dial, which includes laser-engraved waves and a date window at 6 o’clock.
To improve visibility, the hands and indexes are filled with Super-Luminova, while on the inside, the OMEGA Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8800 keeps everything ticking in perfect rhythm. Finally, as a certified Master Chronometer, each wearer is guaranteed the Swiss industry’s highest standards of precision, performance and magnetic-resistance.