Drone cameras are fundamentally altering how broadcasters present Winter Olympic sports, delivering fast-paced, close-up shots that chase athletes down courses, adding a thrilling new dimension for television audiences.
The Drone Pilot's Perspective
Standing on a tower overlooking the cliffs of the Cortina downhill course, Martin Bochatay is as integral to the biggest skiing races of the Winter Olympics as competitors like Mikaela Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson. As the drone cam pilot for the iconic Tofana schuss, a narrow chute between Dolomite rock walls, Bochatay is part of a team controlling buzzing machines that fly right behind Olympians during the Milan Cortina Games, providing stunning visuals to viewers worldwide.
"In my mind, I'm not flying a drone. I'm flying with the skiers," Bochatay told The Associated Press before the Olympics. "It's an immersive thing. The skiers don't see us. But I'm right there with them. You become the drone."
Ubiquitous in Winter Sports Coverage
Drone cams have become ubiquitous at these Games, showcasing the speeds and angles of skiers, lugers, snowboarders, ski jumpers, and other athletes. U.S. bobsledder and flag bearer Frank Del Duca praised the technology, stating, "The skill of those drone pilots is just phenomenal. It gets a really unique perspective."
Viewers have noted the humming noise from the drones, raising concerns about distractions for athletes. However, Norwegian downhiller Kajsa Vickhoff Lie dismissed this, saying, "No, you just maybe hear them on the start, but you don't hear them when you ski."
Evolution of Drone Technology
Drone cams made an inauspicious impact on Alpine skiing 11 years ago when a primitive, massive machine crashed and nearly hit Austrian great Marcel Hirscher during a slalom race. Today, drones are agile and tiny, weighing around half a pound (250 grams), and can accelerate beyond 100 mph (more than 170 kph). Rules in all sports prevent drones from overtaking athletes and require safe distances behind competitors.
How Drones Are Operated
The drones feature two cameras: a high-quality broadcast camera controlled by TV production units in trucks below the course, and a lower-quality pilot camera for navigation. Pilots wear goggles to view these images and use a two-handed remote control with switches for pitch, roll, yaw, and throttle commands.
"There's always these four," Bochatay explained. "It's not like you move one then the other. It's everything at the same time."
A low-tech challenge involves constantly changing batteries, which are kept in warming cases due to cold temperatures, requiring a pit stop crew for quick swaps between runs.
Impact on Viewers and Athletes
Olympic broadcasting officials aimed to highlight venue beauty and athlete perspectives, with the International Olympic Committee delighted by the results. Pierre Ducrey, the IOC's sports director, noted, "Looking at the screen in the downhill, I almost feel motion sickness. That's how much we are able to project ourselves thanks to this new way of broadcasting the sport."
U.S. bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor shared similar sentiments, saying, "I'm not concerned about the drone, but I will say I was watching the luge footage the other day and I was like, 'This is slightly nauseating.' I don't know if I could watch this all the way down the run."
Lie appreciated how drones emphasize speed, adding, "It's cool to see the speed a little bit more for the spectators."
AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.
