How the Athlete-Only Gyms in the Olympic Village Embrace AI

The athlete-only gyms in the Olympic Village are showing the rest of the world all that a luxury fitness experience can be.

Imagine belonging to a fitness center where members never have to wait in line for a piece of equipment, because there are more than 1,200 pieces. Imagine a facility that is available 24 hours, with multiple locations and endless options for your sport-specific equipment. That is the reality for Olympic athletes in Paris.

Technogym, an Italian equipment company, has been responsible for all of the machines in the athlete-only gyms at the Olympics since the Sydney Games in 2000. The high-end company requires that each country’s Olympic committee request specific equipment two years before the Olympics. However, the equipment can be requested “on-demand” too if there is anything specific that an athlete needs.

The athlete-only gym is a masterclass in tech-enabled fitness facilities that club owners back home can take notes from.

Technogym fully embraced artificial intelligence for the Paris Games by introducing Technogym Checkup and AI-enabled strength equipment. With Technogym Checkup, “a 3D virtual assistant that uses a series of tests to assess an athlete’s mobility, balance, reaction time, and more—then provides a customized workout plan.” The product will be available on the market for home users and club owners later this year. 

And, the Technogym strength equipment will adjust weight for the user, so Olympians never have to manually change plates between sets. The program will also remember user data, so the weight will be automatically adjusted each time the user goes to the gym. It delivers a workout where gym-goers can truly focus on the workout, and not waste energy on figuring out the math behind their weights.

Even for Olympians, the Technogym-stocked athlete-only gyms in the Olympic Village are some of the nicest facilities they’ve ever encountered. And, working out alongside some of the greatest athletes of all time doesn’t hurt either.

Lucky for club owners, the athlete-only gyms in the Olympic Village are just temporary installments. After the Paris Games end, Tenchnogym will reclaim the equipment, refurbish it and re-sell the pieces. It ensures nothing goes to waste, but it also gives other fitness centers the chance to let their members train like an Olympian.