CTS Times China National Championships

The China Swimming Association (CSA) needed equipment for the 2005 Spring National Swim Championships in Harbin, China. The event hosted 350 elite athletes from across the country, including past and future Olympians. According to the partnership agreement signed in January, 2005, CTS equipment will be used for every major national competition in China through 2008.

China Swimming Association was established in 1957 and has head offices in Beijing, China. CSA supervises all of China's aquatic sports, including swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming. CSA is China's representative in the International Amateur Swimming Federation (FINA) and the Asian Amateur Swimming Federation (AASF).

The Harbin aquatic facility was utilizing non-CTS equipment, so a temporary installation of a complete competition timing and scoring system was installed. CSA requested the newest equipment from CTS.

CTS designed the timing and scoring system and provided the facility with pace clocks, Championship Start System, System 6 Timing System, touchpads, relay judging platforms with speedlights, a numeric scoreboard and software to interface with their existing matrix board.

Richard Teh, CTS Vice President of Asia Pacific Sales, was involved throughout the process. "This was an important national event for China Swimming Association," said Teh. "Their reputation was on the line, and so was the reputation of CTS. Fortunately for all, everything went extremely well."

After the partnership agreement was made official, an entire team of CTS professionals began work on the Spring National Swim Championships. CTS' software design team had to figure out how to make Chinese characters appear on the System 6, and on the existing matrix scoreboard. The team had to order special graphics for the numeric scoreboard. Then everything had to be shipped and installed in record time.

Once the equipment arrived in Harbin, CTS personnel had only a day to install the complete system and train the officials in its use. "Our software engineers did an outstanding job in making the Chinese characters appear on the System 6 software," said Bob Clauson of CTS. "The Chinese language is very artistic, so this was a huge undertaking."

CTS's Michael Medina-Brodsky agrees with Clauson's assessment. "The Technical Director and Field Service Technician on-site did a fabulous job of bringing the equipment together to pull off a fantastic meet," said Median-Brodsky.

The official CSA Judges' report gave CTS top marks. "China first implemented CTS timing systems during the 2005 National Swim Championship and National Games Qualifier. Throughout the implementation process we found it differentiating itself amongst the competitive products."

RJPL: "Simple installation of the RJP; the strobe light in the front end makes it easier for special athletes to start."

Scoreboard: "Scoreboard is simple and practical, convenient and easy installation. It has good display effect, providing more information on the athletes' techniques on touching the pad and also on the judges' application of the semiautomatic timing equipment, which contributes much to the handling of the athletes' abnormal touch of the pads."

System 6 Sports Timer: "The main computer has comprehensive functionalities, anti-humid, clear and distinct monitor, and prints out fruitful information which gives itself a high referential value."

Championship Start System: "Speakers (horns) of the Champ Start give loud and clear signals, and possess the function of synchronizing the strobe lights."

Pushbuttons: "Pushbuttons are light, give good hand feeling and are convenient to use."

Overall Timing System: "The system combines the functionalities for sports meet and sports training, extending its variety of application."