Use of photofinish as backup for Alpine Ski racing finish lines, the brainchild of Phoenix Sports, has been undergoing testing at world cup races for the past 4 years by Ted Savage at the events in Lake Louise and Kitzbuehel. Data collected was reviewed by FIS Timing Working Group in Zurich this fall and is now considered valid for backup to the photocells at FIS events.

Utilization of the camera time requires the averaging of the difference between camera and photocell for the 3 racers preceding the missing finish and can be used as a direct substitution of the finish impulse once the average differential is applied. Cameras must be running with a minimum precision of .001 and should also be synchronized with A and B system clocks. Look for this in the fall precisions.

Testing started in earnest with the 2005 WC.

"Test data from the Alpine World Championships in Vail 1999 is already on file with Ted Savage and was proven there to be exactly accurate to the photocell data of the main timing system. Ted acknowledged that in that case a very experienced line-scan camera operator, Mr. Fred PATTON of the USA had been responsible for collecting this excellent data and that perhaps not every installation would be capable of such refined results from this source. Regardless, test data from this year would allow us to perhaps add a level of optical protection to assist in situations where the finish photocells exhibit problems (Schladming) or actually miss a time (Val D'Isere) or the main system crashes (GS Salt Lake Olympics)."

The Lynx Time Trial plug in now effectively allows the technician to create instant net times as well as the TOD data for EET's

http://www.finishlynx.com/prod...ynx_professional.htm