Withstanding the Test of Time
Every once in a while I am asked about the accuracy of current timing systems. My response is always the same. The gist of the question usually is "are timing systems really accurate enough." The answer is, "the timer is the most accurate thing in the building."
The actual source for most timing errors is the pool itself. Our ability to time is far greater than our ability to build. Currently good pool construction lists the variance of pool length as ± ¾ inch. This means that each lane could be ¾ inch longer or shorter than the specified pool length of 25 yards. To account for this variance, and the addition of touch pads in the pool, designers call for pools to be built with extra length so that they could never be less than 25 yards.
Thus what we could have, and still meet specifications, is 1.5 inch difference between the longest lane and the shortest lane in the pool – one could be +.75 inch and another could be -.75 inch. This would translate into 6 inches of possible difference in a 100-yard race. In time, this would be .10 second for someone that does the race in a minute flat. Over a 1000 yard race there could be 5 feet of extra distance (or a full second) swum by a competitor that does 10 minutes flat.
The error rate for the pool construction is 1 part in every 600 parts. With a good timing system, the error rate on the clock is 1 part in 100,000 parts .The clock is more than a thousand times more accurate.
Thanks to Steve Crocker of Counsilman Hunsaker aquatic design for background information on pool construction and design. |
