40,000 FPS Cameras Transform 2026 Winter Olympics

Imagine watching a figure skater launch into a triple axel and seeing exactly how high they flew, how fast they landed, and whether they completed the full rotation—all in real time during the broadcast.

That's the reality coming to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy, where Swiss Timing is unveiling sports technology that would have seemed like science fiction just a decade ago. The company's photofinish cameras now capture up to 40,000 images per second, turning millisecond moments into crystal-clear data.

Figure skating, the Winter Games' biggest television draw, is getting the most dramatic upgrade. Fourteen 8K cameras positioned around the rink will track every movement, feeding data into AI systems that create 3D models of each skater's performance.

The technology measures jump heights, air times, and landing speeds instantly, producing heat maps and overlays that appear on screen in less than one-tenth of a second. Judges will even get blade angle detection, offering precise technical data to support their scoring decisions.

"We work very closely with athletes," says Alain Zobrist, CEO of Swiss Timing. "They are the primary customers of our technology and services, and they need to understand how our systems work in order to trust them."

Ski jumping combines both camera and sensor approaches. Lightweight sensors attach to each ski, broadcasting speed, acceleration, and positioning data as athletes soar through the air. The system even correlates performance with wind conditions, revealing how environmental factors affect each jump.

High-speed cameras track body positioning throughout the flight, focusing especially on the crucial first 20 to 30 meters after takeoff when athletes move into their V position. The most common mistakes, over-rotation or under-rotation, can now be diagnosed with precision on every attempt.

Bobsleigh gets a "virtual photo finish" that layers images of different sleds crossing the finish line from various runs, creating composite visuals that show the razor-thin margins separating medal contenders. Traditional photoelectric cells still generate official results, but the new visualization helps fans and commentators understand just how close races really are.

The Ripple Effect

This technology isn't just making the Olympics more exciting to watch. It's fundamentally changing how athletes train and improve. With precise biomechanical data available for every performance, coaches can identify specific moments where technique breaks down and help athletes refine their approach.

The transparency also builds trust in judging decisions, addressing long-standing concerns about subjective scoring in sports like figure skating. When viewers can see the same technical data judges use, the process becomes more accessible and understandable.

Future versions of the figure skating system will automatically detect incomplete rotations, determining whether a spin hit 355 degrees instead of a full 360 and adjusting scores accordingly. This level of precision removes guesswork and ensures fair competition.

The innovations build on technology Swiss Timing introduced at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where cameras measured distances between divers' heads and the board to help judges assess penalties. Each Olympic cycle brings new capabilities that make sports more measurable, more fair, and more thrilling.

When the games begin on February 6, millions of viewers worldwide will see winter sports in ways that transform split-second performances into stories they can actually follow and understand.