The Winter Olympics are showcasing a recent perspective on sports coverage, with drones providing dynamic and immersive visuals. This technology is being used to capture the speed and excitement of events like skating and skiing in a way never before possible.
“This was a long-held wish for me in skating,” says Dutch director Astrid Wisman, who is responsible for distributing the (drone) images worldwide on behalf of Olympic Broadcast Services (OBS).
“It really shows the speed in the sport. I always wanted to do this in Heerenveen, but they weren’t open to it. Now, at the Games, on the highest stage, we are using drones for skating for the first time,” Wisman explains.
Regulations and Safety
Implementing drone technology wasn’t straightforward. The International Skating Union (ISU) initially had reservations, but granted approval shortly before the Games. Strict rules are in place, including maintaining a distance of at least ten meters behind the last skater and a flight height of four meters. Drones are currently used only in individual races, not mass start or team pursuit events.
Here’s how drones are being deployed across various sports at these Games:
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Jelmer Poelstra with the drone
The drone doesn’t fly with every round in the skating hall, as the battery lasts for about 2.5 rounds and needs to be changed. However, It’s noticeable when the drone takes off in the ice hall. The buzzing sound is clearly audible, even for viewers at home.
The skaters aren’t bothered by the buzzing, says Femke Kok, the silver medalist in the 1,000 meters. “There’s so much audience that I don’t even hear it. It doesn’t bother me at all.”
Jenning de Boo, who also won silver in the 1,000 meters, agrees. “I’m all for it. It does produce some extremely cool images, and that’s good for the sport of skating.”
Crash Tests on the Ice
The two sprinters aren’t worried about their own safety. “I assume this has been tested thoroughly. If this goes wrong, you’re pretty much out of luck,” says De Boo. “But I still think it’s strange that they’re only testing this at the Games,” adds Kok.
Dutch drone operator Jelmer Poelstra was involved in so-called crash tests, which were conducted to see what happens if the drone falls from the sky.
“We crashed it hard onto a piece of ice in Switzerland and looked at what broke. We informed the ISU about this,” says Poelstra, who operates the unmanned aircraft in the skating hall during competitions.
“On the training days here before the Games, we crashed it more gently to see if we could get it off the ice in time. That usually takes about 23 seconds, well before the skaters pass by again.”
Beyond Skating
Drones are also being used in other sports at the Games, including ski and snowboard disciplines and at the bobsleigh track. Paolo Giachetto, who supplies the cameras for freestyle skiing, explains to OBS how difficult it is to control them.
“You really need a lot of skills, because there’s no ‘autopilot’ button. The operator must have all the skills at their fingertips. They must maintain both the speed and the angle of the camera.”
