The New Ice Age
After two years of preparation and one weekend of testing, the new timekeeping system for ice skating events in Netherlands was officially used for the first time on Friday 3rd March. We visited the Royal Dutch Skating Association (KNSB) at the Thialf Ice Stadium, the Netherlands, just prior to the start of the World Cup final. A glimpse behind the scenes showed how this system is being used to measure the times for the world’s best skaters.
The KNSB’s technical team is responsible for this new system. They look after the timekeeping system for all major skating events in the Netherlands. The team consists of eight automation specialists under the guidance of Jeroen Fredriks. Jeroen himself was once a fanatic skater and has worked as Coordinator of Technical Services at KNSB since 2000. The timekeeping for national races is one of his responsibilities.
Six measuring points
Whereas in the past the time was measured at one point, six antennae are now embedded in the ice at Thialf. These are triggered via a so-called transponder – a sender on the skater’s ankles – the moment that the skater skates over one of them. Thanks to the unique code of the transponder, there should no longer be any ambiguity regarding which skater has run which time. Jeroen: “The old system has worked outstandingly for thirty years. The KNSB now wants to make the most of new technologies. The six measuring points now enable us to provide skaters and coaches, as well as the public, with more information regarding the speed for example.” Skaters once had to skate past a block with one of their skates. Now there are red pylons in place which do nothing other than indicate the finish line.
List of information
During an entire lap of 400 metres a skater comes across six measuring points. To record the correct time of a race the measuring points must be activated simultaneously and the synchronisation of the antennae via a GPS satellite connection needs to take place once a day. The antennae can reach up to 50 centimetres and the transponders that are bound to the ankles of the skaters are activated within this range. The exact moment that the skater skates over one of these measuring points is then calculated using the ETWClock developed by KNSB (ETW stands for Electronic Timing Windows). The unique code of the transponder and the measured data are linked to the skater’s personal data. Every skater then receives an extensive list containing information about a race.
Backup
One of the technical team’s biggest fears is that the power fails and the system goes down. A consequence of this during a skating tournament would be that the starting schedule runs over and skaters are interrupted during the preparation of their race. For this reason every component of the timekeeping process is then equipped with a backup electricity supply. Jeroen: “When the main power source fails, we can switch over to the backup supply with just one button. This emergency supply provides electricity for approximately 18 minutes. A 10 kilometre race can still be run without causing too much disruption.”
Another backup system is the photo finish system FinishLynx. The photo finish is mainly intended as a backup when the timekeeping breaks down. It is also used to verify the correctness of the main system. A camera takes two thousand photos per second from approximately 20 metres from the finish line, up until the finish line. Based on the photos and the starting time the software then accurately calculates the time skated. Jeroen: “As organiser of large international skating tournaments you want to be prepared for everything. FinishLynx thus also has its own backup supply.”
The time ahead
The time of a full lap is now measured at six points, so this new system is able to collect more information regarding a race or training, for example the speed. You often hear skaters saying: “I wasn’t able to maintain the same position in the last bend and so lost a lot of speed.” Although this is not visible to the public, it can make a race extra exciting when you can actually see the speeds on the television screen. Jeroen: “The number of kilometres per hour that skaters reach says a lot more than the lap time. You can then see when a skater applies a tactical acceleration or breaks down completely and falls back. The audience and the television commentators have also responded very positively to this.”
Sharing race data
How will the timekeeping system be developed further? Jeroen: “The aim of the KNSB is to further professionalize the sport of skating in the Netherlands using this new system. In the future I envisage that every speed skater will have his or her own unique transponder set. The possibility to access personal race data via the Internet should also be made available. Skaters will then have the opportunity to analyse the results and race tactics of their opponents.”
Skaters around the world will then be able to exchange data within communities for example. This also gives them the potential to make their training schedules and race experience available to large groups. According to Jeroen: “This new timekeeping system first needs to become commonplace in the skating world. And for this to happen we need to show that it’s a success here in the Netherlands. This will begin as soon as the ISU (International Skating Union) starts recommending the new system for every professional race.”
A successful end to the skating season
A precise and trustworthy system is necessary in a sport that is becoming increasingly professional. Luckily the first official use of this system was successful. Jeroen: “The old, reliable system was lying alongside the rink, ready to be used in case of emergency. Thankfully we didn’t need to use it.” The Dutch skaters also scored well. Does Jeroen always watch the races with anticipation? “I’m not curious as to what the time is, but that a time is recorded.”
Photos: KNSB and TOPdesk
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