Innovative Olympic Visualizations by The New York Times

Behind the Scenes: The New York Times Olympic Visualizations

Times Insider offers a glimpse into the inner workings of our organization, providing behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism is crafted. It was the summer of 2016 when Derek Watkins, then a graphics editor at The New York Times, faced a formidable challenge: how could the newspaper deliver timely coverage of Olympic events to its readers in record time?

To tackle this challenge, Mr. Watkins and his team of graphics editors brainstormed and ultimately devised an innovative solution: creating miniature versions of the competitions that could be generated in mere minutes. Since the 2016 Games, the Digital News Design, Graphics, and Research and Development teams have consistently built upon this initial vision, producing captivating animated visualizations of various Olympic events, including swimming, running, skiing, and figure skating.

“The earliest simulations resembled 2-D sprites,” said Eden Weingart, an art director on the Digital News Design team. Each subsequent Olympics has allowed her and her team to refine and enhance their creations. This year, the visuals for track and field and swimming have garnered significant attention on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, captivating audiences with their engaging designs.

• Tiny swimming avatars, now rendered in 3-D, seamlessly transition between strokes during the medley events, accompanied by lively video-game-like sound effects.
• On the track, animated runners explode out of starting blocks, pumping their arms vigorously as viewers can pinpoint exactly when they surge ahead or lag behind in the race.

A prime example is Noah Lyles, who clinched victory in the 100-meter dash on Sunday by an astonishing five-thousandths of a second. While the thrilling finish was difficult to discern on television, the Times’ visualization of Lyles showcased how he executed a perfectly timed lean to edge out his competitors at the finish line.

Credit: Nick Bartzokas, Alice Fang, John Huang, and Eden Weingart/The New York Times

In a recent interview, Ms. Weingart discussed the most significant challenges her team faced while creating these visualizations, as well as their exciting plans for future projects. Below are edited excerpts from that conversation.