(NEXSTAR) – The difference between speedskating gold and silver can be a fraction of a second, so how are the times recorded so accurately? Precision timing for speedskating at the games in Milan involves a high-tech system of sensors and cameras developed over a three-year preparation period. Omega has served as the official timekeeper for the event since 1932, moving from manual stopwatches to a multifaceted digital network. The transition to modern technology required extensive setup and testing to capture every race detail. Alain Zobrist, CEO of Omega's Swiss Timing, noted the long-term planning involved in the operation: "We have started to prepare for these games about three years ago." Omega first began its role as the official timekeeper nearly a century ago. The technology used in those early competitions was manual compared to current digital standards. "At that time, it was very different ... timekeeping with stopwatches," Zobrist said with a smile. The modern system relies on photo cells located at the finish line to capture the moment an athlete crosses. These cells automatically stop the running clock to provide an immediate time. This data represents only one part of the multi-step official timing process. Official race results are always measured using a photo finish camera for precise verification. In addition to the track-side sensors, athletes wear individual trackers on their bodies. These devices allow the timing system to gather data from both the course and the skaters simultaneously. All data captured on the field of play is sent to a central control room. "This is where all the data that we capture on the field of play is coming together," the timekeeper said. Results are officialized in this room before they are distributed to the public. The control room houses two main timekeeper positions. These officials have access to frame-by-frame video of every race finish. They use this footage to manually verify the results before pushing out the final official finish times. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by Nexstar. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by Nexstar staff before being published