Swimming Victoria have partnered with Hawk-Eye Innovations, Sony’s wholly owned subsidiary and the sports tech leader in officiating and tracking technologies, on a brand-new collaboration. Together the two have launched a proof of concept (PoC) of the world’s first Swimming Video Review Technology, for the 2022 swimming season, beginning with the 2022 Victorian Age Long Course Championships which ran from March 10 - 14.
Ensuring fair competition in swimming is fundamental. By introducing Hawk-Eye’s latest SMART (Synchronised Multi Angle Replay Technology) Video Review system to the sport, Swimming Victoria is establishing a new methodology for assuring fair competition. The aim of this partnership is to improve the efficiency and automation of officiating and timing in swimming. Currently, certain events require around 50 officials for an event to take place.
The system in place is made up of a permanent 9 camera system (4 under water and 5 above water), all feeding back to the onsite review booth. The review booth has a four-monitor setup, two of which were used to replay and select angles for analysis, whilst the other two displayed 'always live' angles of the pool to avoid missing any action. The system aims to firstly improve the efficiency and automation of the inspector of turn whilst also reducing the need for timekeepers.
Ben Crossing, Hawk-Eye’s Chief Operating Officer stated: “We are always excited at Hawk-Eye to push the boundaries of sports technology and officiating. Working with Swimming Victoria to implement our new Swimming Video Review system is another great example of that, and we are excited to be partnering with them to revolutionise the way swimming is officiated.”
Jason Hellwig, CEO of Swimming Victoria said: “Swimming Victoria is thrilled to be partnering with Hawk-Eye Innovations to bring this world leading sports technology to swimming. Their innovations in officiating and video review systems will change the way we run our competitions and we are very excited to be at the forefront of it. We look forward to working with Hawk-Eye to enhance the future of swimming in Victoria and beyond.”
This PoC has begun in the 2022 season, with offline trials to be in-place until August when Swimming Victoria aims to implement the system live. Hawk-Eye is invested in transforming the sports industry with creative and innovative technologies and are excited to work with Swimming Victoria and make major strides in the world of aquatics.
