State-of-the-art technology gives Chinese athletes a strong performance at the Olympics

Photo: Cui Meng / Global Times

After the Chinese team medal harvest and memorable performances, the high technologies that contributed to the success of the Tokyo Olympics have become a Chinese topic among Chinese internet users in recent days.

According to a CCTV report on Tuesday, China’s national diving team has long benefited from advanced 3D technology and artificial intelligence technology.

Diving is a fast sport; it only takes two seconds to jump into the water, but the movement of athletes in the air is very complex, the CCTV report said. Accurate analysis of divers ’air movement is a major challenge in the training process.

“The athlete’s movements are framed on a three-dimensional spatial display map using this technique, which can display various details of the movements, and the coach can then provide quantitative guidance to the athlete’s movement,” said the system development engineer.

The diving team won seven gold medals and five silver medals at the Olympics, making it one of the most successful teams in the Chinese delegation.

The technology makes it possible to measure the experiences and models that athletes tend to convey orally, which provides more accurate scientific guidance, the engineer said.

Another robotic coaching system, the Pangbot M-ONE for table tennis, introduced in April 2020, can help adjust ball speed and rotation for different players while generating and analyzing players ’training data to improve performance. It was developed by China Table Tennis College of Shanghai Sports University and Siasun Robot & Automation Co.

Aerospace techniques are also used to help athletes. During China’s swimming team’s preparations for the Olympics, the China Academy of Aerospace Electronics Technology (CAAET) conducted tests for six world swimming champions with aeronautical measurement equipment. Data were also collected through simulation training, which helped develop scientific training plans for athletes and provided scientific support to improve performance, according to the Sina Weibo account of CAAET’s parent company, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

Athletes ’sportswear was another high-tech area. The shoes and sportswear of men’s 81-pound weightlifting gold medalist L Xiaojun have sparked much debate.

The sneakers, which use several techniques, can withstand a weight of more than one ton and are impact-resistant. The sole uses a highly abrasion-resistant fiber that is 2.5 times more durable than normal materials and brings a very strong ground adhesion, according to Anta’s official WeChat account.

The development of modern technology is an important step in the development of athletes ’performance, Beijing-based sports experience Wang Dazhao told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Wang also noted that the development of technological tools in the sports industry should be transparent and shared globally.

“The development of sports science and technology is a common wealth of humankind and should not be combined with national scientific and technological security,” Wang said. “Currently, the technological breakthroughs that countries have made in the field of sport are also seeking to spread globally in the short term.”