During the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, technology has been a fundamental part of the experience of athletes, judges, volunteers and fans, from drones for monitoring competitions to Samsung devices at different times.
Through its cell phones and monitors, the company has been present at the sporting event, offering interactive experiences and helping the sports judging of the disciplines contested in Italy.
It all started at the Opening Ceremony in which the Galaxy S25 Ultra were part of the live broadcast by using their cameras from different perspectives.
The same cell phones have been part of the medal ceremony with an activity called Victory Selfie, in which the athletes who climb to the podium take a photo together, as had already been done in Paris 2024 and with the idea of ending the tension of the competition.
Additionally, 3,800 Galaxy Z Flip7 OlympicEdition devices have been delivered to Olympic and Paralympic athletes for use during their stay in the Village and competitions.
One of the uses that athletes have given it is to improve conversations with delegations from other countries. Through the Interpreter, which uses artificial intelligence, it has been possible for them to maintain fluid conversations between people who do not share the same language, even in remote locations or with limited access to human translators.
Emmanuel Mantilla Jr., a volunteer from the Philippines, told how he used to feel insecure when he had to assist visitors who did not speak English.Now, thanks to the Interpreter feature, you can confidently reach out and offer immediate help.He recounts a particular case in which a spectator had difficulty finding the ice hockey arena;Using the device, he was able to guide it in detail, without depending on intermediaries.
The experience is replicated among the athletes themselves.Xaverri Williams, representative of Trinidad and Tobago in bobsleigh, highlights the usefulness of live translation to communicate with colleagues from other delegations.
Visual precision becomes a determining factor in high-speed, minimal-margin sports, such as short track speed skating.For this reason, professional monitors are being used to support refereeing and broadcast operations, ensuring that critical decisions are made based on clear and reliable images.
In the referee areas, close to the action, 37-inch ViewFinity S8 monitors (model S80UD) have been implemented.With 4K UHD resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio, these devices offer an expanded viewing area, allowing judges to examine subtle details, such as the exact position of a skate blade in finishes that can be decided by as little as 0.001 seconds.
Regarding broadcasting and audiovisual production issues, the 55-inch Odyssey Ark monitors have been installed in the video rooms of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), the official body of the International Olympic Committee.
Its 1000R curvature and 4K UHD resolution allow production teams to monitor multiple live signals simultaneously and without visual distortion.The 1 ms GtG response time ensures the clarity needed in dynamic scenes, facilitating real-time decision making and the production of high-quality content for global audiences.
The presence of these monitors at the heart of the VAR allows for greater reliability and clarity to define results in competitions that require high pressure on details due to the speed of the athletes’ movements.
