Latin America. In its most recent White Paper Olympics & Tech, the company Softtek addresses the relevance that technology has in all the Olympic disciplines presented at the Paris Olympic Games that ended a few weeks ago.
He highlights that technology is an indisputable ally to improve the performance of athletes and facilitate the work of coaches, judges and referees, in addition to improving the spectator experience. In this edition of Paris 2024, 10,500 athletes of 206 nationalities participate in 32 sports disciplines, along with 22 adapted Paralympic sports.
These games had another protagonist that broke records of presence: technology. Softtek recaps all the areas in which technological innovation contributed to delivering an unprecedented event:
• Athletes: Technology revolutionized the athlete experience. The use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) allowed athletes to practice in immersive environments, improving their preparation and performance. Generative Artificial Intelligence has transformed and will continue to transform training and competition planning, offering intelligent training systems that provide detailed information and personalized recommendations in real time to identify areas for improvement. In addition, the adoption of wearable technologies and sensors in sportswear makes it possible to monitor the biomechanics and movements of athletes with unprecedented accuracy.
• Smart Stadiums: The technological revolution of the Olympic Games began with the incorporation of the first "Smart Stadiums", equipped with sensor networks and IoT devices that provide real-time data on traffic, transport, pollution and weather conditions. The new 5G networks, with their high speed and low latency, enable fast and reliable data transmission from computer vision cameras to smartphones, drones and IoT sensors. In these Olympic Games. OO., there were more than 12,000 connected screens, 8,000 Wi-Fi terminals and 13,000 computers, all linked by more than 400,000 kilometers of fiber optics.
• Olympic Smart City and sustainability: Paris made Olympic Games history with its commitment to sustainability and has become the first Olympic Smart City. Has implemented innovative solutions in transport, energy and waste management, from the use of electric vehicles to the optimisation of energy resources, the city proved that it is possible to host an event of this magnitude with minimal environmental impact.
• Improved fan and spectator experience: the way fans enjoy sports content is changing rapidly; Traditional television broadcasting is giving way to streaming platforms, online applications and social networks. These new channels allowed viewers to access on-demand content and this edition saw how access to personalized content options is widespread. Already in the Olympic Games. OO. of Tokyo, it was recorded that 64% of the content related to the Olympic Games. OO. It was consumed through online platforms, marking a significant change in the way of experiencing sport.
• AI in cybersecurity for secure gaming: With the increased connectivity that characterized this edition and exposure to large volumes of sensitive data hosted in the cloud, cybersecurity has become a critical priority. Advancements include the use of Artificial Intelligence to detect and respond to threats in real-time, protecting the integrity of athlete data, event infrastructure, and spectator personal information.
Mauro Mattioda, CEO of Softtek South America Hispana, stresses that "the integration of advanced technologies in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games marks the beginning of a new era for sport, where innovation becomes an essential ally for excellence and global unity"; However, it warns that for this transformation to be truly inclusive and ethical, a collective effort will be indispensable to encourage research, develop strong regulatory frameworks, and ensure that all athletes, regardless of their access to resources, can compete on equal terms.
To learn about the White Paper, click here.
