NOS Sport•
-
Sander Maassen van den Brink
editor Winter Games in Milan
-
Sander Maassen van den Brink
editor Winter Games in Milan
In recent days, the attentive TV viewer could hear a buzzing sound at the skating rink, the bobsleigh track and on the track during the Winter Games. As the athletes flew past in Milan and Cortina, a drone followed in their wake. In this way, an attempt is made to capture the sports more spectacularly than ever.
“This was a long-cherished wish for me in skating,” says Dutch director Astrid Wisman, who sends the (drone) images all over the world on behalf of the Olympic Broadcast Services (OBS).
“It shows the speed in the sport even more. I always wanted to do it in Heerenveen, but they were not open to it. Now at the Games, on the highest stage, we have drones in skating for the first time,” says Wisman.
Lines
Table of Contents
That didn’t happen automatically. The International Skating Union (ISU) was reluctant. Wisman only received one just before the Games go. “We have to adhere to the rules. For example, we must always stay ten meters behind the last skater. In addition, the latest camera flies at a height of four meters. And we only fly during individual races, so not during the mass start or the team pursuit.”
For example, the drones will be used during various sports these Games:
The drone does not fly every lap in the skating hall, because after 2.5 laps the battery is empty and needs to be replaced. Yet it is noticeable in the ice rink when the drone goes up. The buzzing sound is clearly audible. Also for the people at home.
The skaters are not distracted by the buzzing, says Femke Kok, the silver medalist in the 1,000 meters. “There is so much audience that I don’t even hear him. It didn’t bother me at all.”
This is also stated by Jenning de Boo, who also took silver in the 1,000 meters. “I am only in favor of it. It produces very cool images and that is good for skating.”
Crash tests on the ice rink
The two sprinters are not afraid for their own safety. “I assume that this has been tested well. If this goes wrong, you will of course be screwed,” says De Boo. “Although I still find it strange that they only test this at the Games,” Kok adds.
-
Jelmer Poelstra with the drone -
Jelmer Poelstra controls the drone
The Dutch drone driver Jelmer Poelstra was involved in this so-called crashtests, These were carried out to see what happens if the drone falls out of the sky.
“We crashed it very hard on a piece of ice in Switzerland and looked back at what broke. We let the ISU know,” says Poelstra, who flies the unmanned aircraft in the skating hall during competitions.
“On the training days here for the Games, we let him crash more gently to see if we could get him off the ice in time. On average, we did this within 23 seconds, well in time before the skaters passed by again.”
Not just in skating
Drones are also used in other sports at the Games. They can also be seen at the ski and snowboard disciplines and at the bobsleigh track. Paolo Giachetto supplies the cameras for freestyle skiing and knows how difficult it is to control them, he told OBS.
“You really need a lot of skills, because there is no ‘autopilot button’. So the driver must have all the skills at his fingertips. He must both maintain speed and control the angle of the camera.”
When skiing, they also manage not to hinder the athletes, says German alpine skier Emma Aicher. “We have had this for a while at the World Cup races. So it is no longer that special for us. And with our speed you really don’t hear them on the road.”
Next step?
If things continue to go well, there is even room to think about new cameras, says director Wisman. “Maybe the next camera will be in the skaters’ glasses, so that we can switch it live. Or a bodycam for one of the trainers. But for that we still have to invest a few years.”
No medals yet
No medals have been won yet
date:2026-02-14 06:36:00
Related reading