About United Sports Services
Company CEO Matt Murphy is thrilled with the opportunity to represent Swiss Timing in the U.S. and look forward to expanding the reach of the highest quality products in the industry. Matt Murphy stated, “Since the inception of automatic timing in swimming, Swiss Timing products have been the gold standard. They have been entrusted with providing accurate, dependable results at every high profile event in the world including the U.S. Olympic Trials, U.S. National Championships, and the Olympic Games.” United Sports Services will strive to not just provide the best equipment in the business, but the best level of service and support during the installation phase, to the moment the equipment sees the competition for the first time it is installed and long down the road for its clients.
Swiss Timing recently released its next-generation Quantum timing console in the U.S. market. This will pick up the mantle of the current ARES console that has been the warhorse of Swiss Timing since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The Omega system in service at Georgia Tech (which includes the original touchpads) continues to provide the same high level of performance today that it did during the 1996 Olympic Games.
About Swiss Timing
SWISS TIMING was founded on 3rd of July 1972 and started to build on the depth of knowledge inherited from their predecessors, watchmakers; Omega and Longines. Since then, SWISS TIMING has regularly timed the Olympic Games: Innsbruck & Montreal in 1976, Lake Placid & Moscow in 1980, Sarajevo & Los Angeles in 1984, Calgary & Seoul in 1988, Albertville in 1992, Atlanta in 1996, Sydney in 2000, Athens in 2004, Torino in 2006, Beijing in 2008, Vancouver in 2010, London in 2012, and Sochi in 2014.
The history of Swiss Timing
Although Swiss Timing as an independent entity was officially founded in July of 1972, its roots can be traced back more than a century to the earliest sports timekeeping activities of its sister brands, Omega and Longines.
Omega was on hand as the official timekeeper at the Gordon Bennett Cup balloon race in 1904, the first documented occasion of the brand lending its services to sport. Omega’s services came of age in Los Angeles in 1932 when, for the first time, a single company was responsible for the timekeeping of every event at an edition of the Olympic Games.
That partnership with the International Olympic Committee was an important one in the development of modern sports timekeeping and it remains a cornerstone in the Swiss Timing story. Working closely with its sister brands, it has delivered state-of-the-industry timekeeping and data handling solutions to the world’s highest-profile sporting event.
Technological evolution . . . and revolution
It is remarkable to consider the evolution of timekeeping technology and services since Omega first assumed timekeeping responsibilities in 1932. The 30 split-second chronographs used in Los Angeles have been replaced by 450 tons of state-of-the-art equipment, 175 kilometers of cable and optical fiber, and 70 display boards at the London 2012 Olympic Games. No fewer than 450 technicians, supported by some 800 trained volunteers, were dispersed among the 31 Olympic venues in the capital and its surroundings.
A commitment to sport
Working closely with the governing federations of more than 100 sports, Swiss Timing engineers, sport managers, and specialists are committed to creating timekeeping and data handling technologies and processes that are equal to the ever-changing requirements of a broad range of events and sports.
In the company’s history, these have included such breakthroughs as photoelectric cells, Scan’O’Vision photofinish cameras, touch pads in swimming pools, and starting blocks with false start sensors. And every year, new technologies are introduced to serve the sporting federations and event organizers, to record the incredible performances of the world’s best athletes, and to inform spectators and fans around the world.
An admirable contradiction of the heart and mind
The world is passionate about sport and as Nick Hayek, President of the Group Management Board of Swatch Group, has said, “Sport is a blend of pure emotion and absolute irrationality mixed with moments of absolute precision, complete objectivity, and black and white results – an admirable contradiction of the heart and mind. Swiss Timing has been an exceptional ambassador.”
The company has always been proud of that role.