How can they tell who wins in olympic swimming?

Question

We have been watching all the swimming. How do they know who wins so quickly after the race? Do they have cameras under water or do the swimmers push a button under water? Do you know?

Answer 1

duh as soon as they touch the wall it registers to the 100th of a second.

Answer 2

They have a touchpad at the end of each lane.  

Answer 3

They have cameras under water and from all angles.

I also think it's whoever touches the end of the pool first wins.. not completely sure though

Answer 4

They have a pad/bar at the end finish line, and when the swimmers touch it, the time is stopped and that is how they can see how won. =)

Answer 5

if you watch when the swimmers come to the wall and if the camera is under water you see a white square type thing on the wall with a black square in the middle. its a touchpad and thats how they tell so quickly

Answer 6

This answers it better than I can.

http://www.seiko.co.jp/en/experience/spo...

Answer 7

they have refferies, they swim underwater

Answer 8

Events such as the Swimming and Track and Field have an automatic timing system in place.

The touch pads in the pool are directly connected to a computer system and the scoreboard so results are posted instantaneously.

If there's a problem with the touch pad then the back up timers (push buttons at each starting block - the people in the Blue Jackets perform the duties of back up timers - the swimmers do not push a button) are connected to the same system. Any lane that uses the back up time will show no time on the board and the administrators in the scoring booth will have to determine the correct time to feed the score board display. The touch pads in these big meets fail about 3 or 4 times for the entire meet so the probability is very low a final event results will ever be held up.

The cameras under water are only for TV coverage and not used to determine times or placing.

I hope this helps.