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Gu Ailing's stunning gold gets glorious 3D animation treatment
Updated 12:02, 12-Feb-2022
Zhao Chenchen
Gu Ailing's final jump of her double cork 1620 is put into 3D animation. /Baidu

Gu Ailing's final jump of her double cork 1620 is put into 3D animation. /Baidu

During the Tuesday freestyle skiing women's big air event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, China's Gu Ailing surprised the watching world with a bold attempt in her final jump – a double cork 1620. 

If you were dazzled by her near-perfect jump, you can relive it through an animated 3D video. 

China Media Group (CMG) deployed an artificial intelligent (AI) 3D model to decode winter sports, particularly those involving high speed and complicated movements, in an Olympic TV special, "Ao Mi Wu Qiong" ('Unlocking the Mystery of Olympics' in translation). 

A data visualization of Gu Ailing's final jump in her double cork 1620 before she won the Big Air gold on February 8, 2022. /CGTN infographic

A data visualization of Gu Ailing's final jump in her double cork 1620 before she won the Big Air gold on February 8, 2022. /CGTN infographic

In Gu's animation, an avatar was created in a one-to-one 3D model of the big air platform in Shougang Park, a 100-year-old former steelworks converted to a snow event venue in downtown Beijing.

And it is not just an overlay of a series of stop motion pictures. Her motion data, such as sliding speed, flying height, landing distance and rotation angle, has all been visualized in the model through AI analysis. 

Besides, the model can superimpose different participants in one motion replay so that spectators can tell the difference in athletes' performances like a pro. The 3D model of the venue offers an immersive "naked-eye" virtual reality experience.

The technology has already been utilized in China's diving "Dream Team" to enhance training efficiency. In just three seconds, it can capture and analyze thousands of frames in a two-second motion from diving takeoff to entry into the water. 

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