TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Technology has helped Taiwan's weightlifters shine at the Tokyo Olympics.

Amis Indigenous weightlifter Kuo Hsing-chun (郭婞淳) clinched gold in the women’s 59 kilogram weightlifting event on July 27 with 103 kg in the snatch and 133 kg in the clean and jerk, smashing three Olympic records. Behind her success lies a years-long pursuit for precision sports science, wrote CNA.

As part of a Ministry of Science and Technology-led project researching precision sports, the country’s weightlifters have received a boost to their training via a technology that analyzes the barbell path, or trajectory. The project was launched in 2018 with NT$240 million (US$8.59 million) of investment.

By tracking the motion of lifts using artificial intelligence, the technology helps athletes improve their performance by making adjustments in force and velocity. The computerized system also assists with determining the athlete’s condition if signs of fatigue appear.

Meanwhile, the shock-absorbing, noise-reducing drop pads developed by the team in partnership with the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology help mitigate hearing impairment and the likelihood of accidents caused by weight plates. The mats are made from materials used to manufacture defense equipment, according to Ho Wei-hua (何維華), leader of the project and a professor at the University of Taipei’s Graduate Institute of Sports Equipment Technology.

Kuo Hsing-chu competes in women's 59 kg weightlifting event at 2020 Summer Olympics on July 27, 2021. (AP photo)

Kuo during training. (Instagram photo)