With Clock Ticking, Omega Re-ups Olympics

Omega, whose official Olympic timekeeping legacy dates back to the Los Angeles Games in 1932, has renewed its International Olympic Committee sponsorship which will extend the deal through the 2020 Olympic Games.

The announcement means Omega will continue as the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games, bringing its relationship with the Olympic Movement to a total of 29 Olympic Games.

During the announcement, IOC President Jacques Rogge quipped, "OMEGA has given us a valuable tool – they always install a Countdown Clock in every Olympic city. I am relieved to know that the organizer from Sochi (who was in attendance at the press conference) wakes up every morning and sees that the time is almost here."

In Beijing last year, only a hundredth of a second separated gold medallist Michael Phelps and silver medallist Milorad Cavic in the men's 100-metre butterfly. Omega Timing's high-speed video cameras confirmed the results. A long way from the chronographs and stop-watches of the 1932 Los Angeles Games.

Gerhard Heiberg, Chairman of the IOC Marketing Commission, said, “Omega’s accuracy, technological competence and years of experience have contributed to the success of the modern Olympic Games. Omega works in close collaboration with our other technology partners to provide integrated technology support to the Organising Committees of the Olympic Games.”

Stephen Urquhart, President of Omega, said “Omega is proud to continue its long-standing association with the IOC and the world’s premium sporting event. Since 1932 the Olympic Games have provided us with a unique platform to convey our message of precision, quality and innovation in a prestigious and fitting environment.”