Innovative Technologies Showcased at the Olympics

This year, the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris debuted some exciting technologies to enhance every aspect of sport, competition, and enjoyment for viewers. Besides the use of cutting-edge sports gear and equipment, the Paris Olympics features advanced surveillance and security systems as well as eco-friendly infrastructure and venue construction.

With the advancement of AI, this year's Olympics also feature AI-powered systems to provide real-time statistics, analyze athletes' movements in the context of one another, and provide extra dimensions for viewership. However, this isn't the first time new technology saw introduction at the Olympics. Indeed, there is a long history of innovative technologies being showcased at the Olympics.

After the modern Olympics debuted in 1896, motivation to win and bring home glory incentivized advancements in a wide array of sports technology. Be it complex electrical systems to help ensure point accuracy in fencing or timekeeping technology advancing to allow instantaneous record-keeping, the Olympics provide a perfect venue to debut fascinating new technology. In this article, we will explore some of the innovative technologies showcased at the Olympics over the years.(For a look at the evolution of prizes, explore Olympic medal designs throughout the years.)

To compile a list of innovative technologies showcased at the Olympics, 24/7 Tempo consulted a range of history, news, and sports publications including Smithsonian Magazine, Hivenet, and the Fitz William Institute. From there, we selected technologies that were showcased or debuted at the Olympic Games. After that, we confirmed aspects of each technology using sites like Atlas Obscura and Sports Illustrated.

For centuries, the only way to judge whether a fencer's lance hit their opponent was the exclamation Touche! This acknowledgment lets judges know when a point has yielded. Fencers move notoriously quickly, however, and this proclamation rested on something of a gentleman's agreement. To ensure accuracy, federations began introducing new technology to quantify strikes.

While a primitive electronic scoring system saw introduction in London in 1896, it did little to measure the lightning-fast strikes in which fencers engage. Modern fencing uses three types of swords, the foil, épée, and saber. An electrified version of the épée, a thrusting weapon that marks hits at any point of the body, debuted at the 1936 Olympic Games. When an épée's tip hits an opponent with enough power, it closes an electrical circuit. This registers immediately in an electronic scoring system.

A foil, however, only counts for hits in the torso. As such, it requires fencer uniforms to be electrified, too. This was one of the innovative technologies showcased first at the 1956 Olympic Games. The final type of sword, the saber, became electrified for the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. With a current running the length of the saber's edge, points register when it strikes anywhere above the waist except the hands. While other wireless technology to track all fencing movements debuted at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, it failed to return for this year's games in Paris.

The earliest form of swimsuits in the Olympic Games was thick, bulky, and not necessarily built for speed. At the 1924 Paris Olympic Games, swimmers wore modest suits. Men wore chest-covering one-pieces and women wore suits with skirted bottoms. Made of wool, these suits arguably hindered athletics more than helped.

Over time, however, things changed. Australian Alexander MacRae debuted the Racerback suit in 1927. While more scandalous for the time, as it exposed women's shoulders, their smooth silk constitution proved a far better material for swimming. A few years later, MacRae founded the now-classic swimwear company Speedo. It took another 40 years for the modern "second skin" swimsuit to debut.

Comprised of transparent cotton and synthetic materials, these suits weighed just a few ounces. While this technology surely improved swimmers' odds, more advancements would come. At the 2000 Olympic Games, Speedo introduced full-body suits that compressed muscles and reduced drag. Due to the use of polyurethane material, suits like Speedo's LZR Racer suit reduced drag and increased buoyancy. Too much in fact, as 23 of the 25 records broken at the 2008 Olympics were from swimmers wearing such suits. Less than two years later, the Olympic Committee banned all suits containing polyurethane. While many feared it would put a lull in record-breaking, subsequent Olympic games proved this fear unfounded.

While the Olympic Committee holds fixed standards on the composition of swimsuits, its rules are far more relaxed for poles used in vaulting. Indeed pole vaults encourage innovation and creativity, as no rules regarding their material exist on the books. As such, one of the innovative technologies showcased at the Olympics comes in the form of pole vault advancement.

The earliest poles consisted of hickory or ash wood. However, these poles were far too rigid, preventing vaulters from reaching maximum heights. In the early 20th century, vaulters switched to bamboo poles. While far more flexible than other types of wood, bamboo poles weighed a lot and could only bend so far before snapping. Though athletes experimented with steel and aluminum poles midcentury, it took the invention of fiberglass to catapult pole vaulting to new heights.

These new fiberglass poles could do it all. Weighing less than five pounds on average, they showed flexibility when bending and allowed vaulters to produce more energy when jumping. Experts in the field slowly but surely refined this advancement in pole technology until Olympian Vaulters could reach the impressive modern height of 19.5 feet.

For much of Olympic history, runners relied on simple footwear to bring home the gold. While long-distance runners used shoes with rubber soles and leather uppers, sprinters used metal-spiked shoes with leather wrapping. For example, Harold Abrahams won the 1924 100-meter dash using J.W. Foster's state-of-the-art leather sneakers featuring metal spikes on the ball.

It took another half-century for running shoes to see considerable advancement. After shoemakers introduced air-infused foam, running shoes became lighter and bouncier. The game didn't truly change until 2017, however, when Nike introduced its Vaporfly model. This shoe featured multilayered lightweight foam that absorbed impact energy as well as a carbon-fiber plate that anchored each bounce and kept runners moving faster.

The results of such innovations became immediately apparent. After these innovative technologies were showcased at the Olympics, runners wearing these types of shoes broke all outdoor track world records from 5,000 meters up to marathons. This spurred on even more shoe advancements, but the World Athletics Organization didn't like it and banned all shoes with superthick midsoles or carbon-fiber plates. In response, shoemakers adapted to the new rules, introducing similar shoes that improved performance but followed the updated regulations. While some say the variety of super shoes levels the playing field, others suggest it kicked off an arms race of shoe technology in the pursuit of a better score.(For impressive advancements in athleticism, discover the greatest comeback stories in Summer Olympics history.)

The earliest modern Olympic Games relied on the use of starter pistols and hand timers to judge the speed of different runners. Usually, judges would race along the track by bike to keep up with competitors, stopping their timers when the winner crossed the finish line. These early games, however, did not register times for silver or bronze medalists, only the winner.

An Omega watchmaker showcased innovative technologies at the 1932 Olympic Games when he showed up with 30 state-of-the-art stopwatches. These came equipped with a split-second hand that could stop independently and provide more accurate times for all runners. While the photo finish debuted at the 1932 Olympics, it failed to find purchase after split-second images showed one runner crossing the finish line a hair's breadth after the other. At the 1948 Olympics, a photoelectric beam replaced finish line tape. This ensured timing stopped once an athlete hit its sensors.

Such advancements saw further refinement in subsequent decades. At the 1968 Games, swimmers engaged a touchpad at the end of each lane which further eliminated stopwatch errors. Later, at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, judges used pressure sensor systems to detect false starts in races. Though we may take Olympic timing accuracy for granted in the modern age, many innovations over the years made instantaneous timing a guarantee.

Another one of the innovative technologies showcased at the Olympics came in the form of the rewind button. Instant replay technology was introduced at the 1960 Squaw Valley Winter Olympics. Many times, judges could not accurately say whether a skier had missed a gate or not during a race. As such, the technology helped make more accurate decisions.

After a judging scandal introduced a bit of controversy in the figure skating world, the sport saw the introduction of instant replay technology at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. While it entered the sport to quiet critics, it has since grown into a vital part of the sport in terms of judging fairness and accuracy. This technology developed somewhat in tandem with the International Judging System (IJS) in figure skating.

Under the regulations set by the IJS, a technical specialist evaluates skating elements before passing video footage over to judges. The judges then confirm the specialist's analysis to finalize scores. Due to its accuracy, the instant replay system effectively replaced the traditional 6.0 scale judging system. Not only does this ensure more impartiality and accuracy on the judges' parts, but it also provides each Olympic athlete with an opportunity to succeed free from bias and other perspective tricks.

Before the 1930s, the only way people could learn about the Olympics was through the newspaper or word-of-mouth. Only those lucky enough to live in the host city could see the games for themselves. All that changed in the 1930s, however, when innovations in television technology allowed the broadcast of the Olympic Games to a wider audience. The 1936 Berlin Olympic Games opening ceremony became the first Olympic event to be televised. Simultaneously, close-circuit televisions broadcast selections of the Games to viewing halls in German cities like Berlin, Potsdam, and Leipzig.

Not only did this make the Olympic Games accessible to people on a wider scale, it set a precedent for future Olympic Games, which slowly expanded its reach and exposure as the years progressed. A little over 30 years later, the 1968 Grenoble Winter Olympics became the first games to be broadcast in color. Furthermore, this vibrant experience went live thanks to innovations in satellite technology. Provided by ABC, this viewing experience meant anyone across the world could watch the games in real-time.

With the advent of the internet, the accessibility of the Olympics took on a new dimension. The 2004 Summer Olympics became the first games to appear over the internet (with certain geographic restrictions). As the new millennium progressed, restrictions were relaxed and new technology allowed viewers to access the games whenever and wherever. During the current 2024 Summer Olympics, NBC streaming app Peacock is streaming every live Olympic event, further expanding the reach and dimension of Olympic enjoyment.

For much of modern history, the Olympic Games were at the mercy of favorable weather conditions. Suffice it to say, that if outdoor figure skating could not find a suitable frozen lake in the first half of the 20th century, competition suffered. That's why one of the most innovative technologies showcased at the Olympics was the introduction of artificial snow and ice.

First came snow machines. These machines, invented in the mid-1950s, allowed the creation of fake snow without the use of large ice blocks or rotating blades.At the 1964 Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria, coordinators used artificial ice for the first time during a bobsleigh event. This not only ensured better conditions for competition, it marked a turning point in artificial winter technologies in the Olympic Games.

As the 1980s approached, the Olympics moved most of its winter sports competitions indoors. For contests in the realms of ice hockey, figure skating, and speed skating, the games used massive refrigerated ice rinks to ensure optimal competition. While some technologies improve both odds and conditions overall, the use of artificial snow and ice can come at a heavy economic and environmental cost. The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, for example, required an incredible 49 million gallons of water to make artificial snow.

Tennis has come a long way since its early days. Janky wooden rackets and lawn courts slowly but surely evolved into lightning-fast and fierce modern tennis. Thanks to advancements in fiberglass technology and more accurate measuring techniques, players can hit balls at incredible speeds without losing much accuracy. Furthermore, electronic components have been added to racquets for further data. Called Babolat Play, these racquets allow players to analyze each move and swing with impressive accuracy.

Another one of the exciting technologies showcased at the Olympics comes in the form of tennis competitions. Called Hawk-Eye, this technology first debuted at the 2008 US Open before its showcase at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. The Hawk-Eye relies on a network of court-focused cameras. These track the trajectory and velocity of the ball, while simultaneously using modeling techniques to predict where the ball will land. This allows judges to detect when a ball goes in or out of play with a higher degree of accuracy.

Surprisingly, tennis officials didn't fight this new technology. Instead, they embraced it and opened up its sense of impartiality to players as well. Nowadays, tennis judges give players three challenges per set. These challenges allow players to question decisions made by judges up to three times per match.

After the archery competition first debuted at the Olympic Games in 1900, the sport remained pretty much unchanged for decades. It was simple, archers fired arrows at a target and judges analyzed the accuracy of said shots. In recent years, however, innovative technologies showcased at the Olympics ensured better accuracy for archers and judges alike.

First came advancements in bow technology. While archers in the first modern Olympic games relied on simple wood and string bows, advancements in bowmaking slowly changed the game. Now, most Olympic-level archers use bows made with either ultra-light fiberglass or a carbon polymer and wood mixture.

Currently, an advanced sensor system sits right below the paper archery target, providing accurate judgments of arrow placement. Indeed, this sensor system works so well it can pinpoint an arrow's location by 0.2mm, a distance much more precise than what the human eye can accomplish. While it ensures accuracy to an incredible degree, it might make judges redundant as the sensors pick up arrow placement and broadcast it to the scoreboard instantly. Archers might feel the heat too, as new technology used in the Rio Olympics allowed spectators to monitor athletes' heart rates in real-time.

Much like pole vaulting, the javelin has seen exciting advancements over the years. First used in ancient times by Roman legionnaires, the javelin would be fired into enemy lines, wounding or killing on contact while simultaneously bending so it could not be thrown back. Once it became a sport in the modern world, javelin throwing kept the essence of its original warfare aims and combined them with grace and power to make them soar long distances with a high arc.

When javelin throwing first entered the Olympic Games in 1906, the stick featured a center of mass balanced with its center of pressure. This weighted the javelin right at the halfway point. This ensured great accuracy but detracted from how the stick landed once it made an impact. By 1986, the javelin saw a redesign. This moved the center of mass forward some 40 millimeters. By doing this, a javelin would be more likely to pitch forward upon impact, ensuring much more length.

The elite javelin throwers often hurl the sticks at angles between 32 and 36 degrees. With utmost power, the javelin reaches a velocity of up to 100km/h as it reaches distances of 100 meters. This redesign helped improve the javelin's arc length just enough to edge out the competition. As for safety, the javelin remains one of the most dangerous sports in the Olympics. In 2012, a German official was killed after being hit by an incoming javelin when he went out to measure a previous throw.

While new technologies showcased in the Olympics often take the form of slight but noticeable refinements to equipment crafting, some technology appears truly futuristic. Take cycling, for example. In the realm of high-tech, the Team USA cycling squadron uses AR glasses developed by Solos. Preceding the Rio Olympics, these glasses recorded a laundry list of metrics including heart rate, speed, and cadence to adjust performance at a moment's notice and better meet targets.

More low-tech but equally impressive cycling technology debuted at the Rio Olympics. The New Zealand cycling team used brand-new bikes to give them an edge over the competition. These scientifically designed bikes were tested in wind tunnels to ensure the best ride possible. Furthermore, the bikes relied on a refined shape for aerodynamics as well as custom-made handlebars to fit the slight differences in each rider's hands. While they failed to take home any medals during the Rio Olympics, their state-of-the-art bikes suggest further advancements on the horizon in the world of cycling.(For unique perks of being at the Olympics, discover surprising amenities Olympic athletes enjoy behind the scenes.)