The world of athletics is on the cusp of a revolution, and we expect the competition to really  heat up in Paris at the Summer Games. Athletes are running faster than ever, driven by unprecedented advancements in technology and data analytics. It may be just a matter of time that the world record is broken.

In Tokyo, we witnessed a new era of sprinting, with more athletes breaking the 10-second barrier than ever before. The race reached new heights, making it harder than ever to secure a place in the final. The female bronze medallist ran 10.76 seconds and she was the fastest ever to get to third place in a 100-metre race, highlighting the intensifying competition.*

Extending the Thrill Beyond 10 Seconds

While 10 seconds is amazing for the athletes, it’s such a short time for fans to fully enjoy and appreciate the spectacle and really feel the excitement. What if we could mirror the success seen in sports, like football and motorsports, where fans remain emotionally connected to the athletes throughout competitions and beyond, driven by the latest digital technologies?

Our vision is to do exactly that. What if we told you we could elevate this experience to new heights, making it more thrilling for spectators? With a big vision, and with in-depth data and analytics we can bring more excitement and engagement to fans of athletics.

The Opportunity to Enhance Fan Engagement

At high-stake events, like the Summer Games organisers rely mainly on estimates from high performance and high precision professional cameras as they determine key metrics like stride length and frequency. While views are provided with insights based on data from pressure sensors in the starting blocks and roaming cameras, there's very limited information on display on what happens on an individual level between the start and finish line. It's also very hard to determine important metrics like stride length and frequency from cameras, as they lack a precise reference for distance. If we knew more, we could share more! Additional athlete data, especially when displayed in real-time to spectators, could not only enhance precision in measurements but also add more layers to the athlete’s story.

Democratizing Data 

At Feldspar, we are working on a solution to bring new, visually captivating experiences for live sports fans.  We are building the next generation high-performance running track that has the potential to transform how fans experience 10-second sprints over a longer period. For the first time, integrated sensing technologies will capture athletes' footsteps directly on the track, transforming performance analysis through real-time data.

Using millions of data points from embedded and trackside sensors, Feldspar will transform this information into an engaging live fan experience through its advanced AI capabilities. These capabilities analyse complex datasets to provide fans with rich data insights, uncovering nuances of split-second changes in positions and performances. The advanced stats pave the way for new, richer stories to share with fans about athletes and their teams, creating more action, energy, and excitement both on and off the track.

For instance, fans will be able to see real-time data on acceleration, velocity, running technique and power output, offering a comprehensive view of not just one, but multiple athletes’ performances simultaneously throughout the race. This data can be displayed on big screens at events, integrated into live broadcasts, and accessed via mobile apps, making the viewing experience more interactive and engaging.

Imagine watching the 100 m finals at the Olympic Games, where fans can follow the detailed insights on each athlete’s performance, understanding the split-second changes in positions, and the biomechanical nuances that make the difference between victory and defeat. This level of detail not only brings more excitement but also helps build deeper connections to athletes, teams, and the sport itself.

By offering a deeper understanding of individual athlete performance throughout the sprints, we strongly believe that our hero stories beyond the gold-silver-bronze medalists, will have interested audiences.  Just look at other sports that have gone through a massive digital transformation which led to an increase in fan engagement, and you’ll see the direction this can head.

Committed to Innovation

As a tech-first company, Feldspar is committed to continually evolving with technological advancements, and envisages a future where, like the next generation of cars, it will be able to offer new features on the track as well, and therefore to fans and athletes, through over-the-air updates. Our product will not only enhance the precision and detail of data but also introduce new ways for fans to interact with and enjoy the sport.

Conclusion

There's no doubt that the upcoming Summer Games will be a showcase of athletic excellence, jam-packed with technological innovation. We have big and bold ambitions, and who knows, maybe one day Feldspar will be one of them. It’s still a long journey but we want to be the trailblazer of this revolution, transform athletics, and bring a richer, more detailed, and more exciting experience to fans of athletics.
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Source: Analyzing the Olympic 100-meter sprints, October 8, 2021 by Pierre-Jean Vazel @  HMMR Media.