There is an increasing desire of deaf and hearing-impaired athletes to test their abilities by taking part in open events against all competitors. However, few athletes with such sensory disabilities are able to compete on equal terms in short-distance races (60m, 100m, 100/llOm hurdles, etc.) where rapid reaction to the audial start signal is vital to competitive success and top performances. The normal ways for these athletes to realise the starter's gun has fired involve a disadvantageous change in starting position and or a time delay of up to several tenths of a second. This report describes a project to create a system that detects the sound of the starter's gun and automatically communicates it to the athlete through a portable light unit. It covers the development, testing and commercial roll out of the Olimpo Device, which the authors suggest can also be used in training and in other sports. The project was named the winner of the Technology Category in the 2012 European Athletics Innovation Awards and the commercial product has been used at a number of national and international competitions.
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