Team USA’s athletes returned from the 2026 Olympics with improved results, partly thanks to a unique partnership with Google Cloud. Instead of relying solely on traditional coaching methods, US Ski and Snowboard leveraged artificial intelligence to refine training and performance analysis. This approach provided a competitive advantage by delivering deeper, data-driven insights into how athletes move and perform on the slopes.
The Problem with Traditional Training
For years, winter sports coaching has relied heavily on video review. Coaches manually analyze footage to identify errors, a process that, while effective, is time-consuming and limited by human perception. This method struggles to capture subtle details that make the difference between winning and losing at the elite level. The need for more precise, objective data became critical for maintaining a competitive edge.
How Google’s AI Changes the Game
Google Cloud engineers collaborated directly with skiers and snowboarders to develop an AI tool that addresses these shortcomings. The core innovation lies in transforming standard 2D video footage into detailed 3D skeletal models of athletes in motion. Gemini, Google’s AI model, analyzes each frame, allowing for precise tracking of speed, rotation, trajectory, and other key performance indicators.
The AI doesn’t replace coaches; it augments their expertise. Coaches can now validate their observations with data, identify patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed, and gain insights into an athlete’s movements even when obscured by bulky winter gear. The system also includes a chat interface where coaches can query Gemini about specific performance aspects.
Democratizing Elite Training
The implications extend beyond national teams. The AI-powered analysis makes high-level training accessible to a wider range of coaches and athletes. Previously, detailed motion capture required expensive equipment like sensors that can interfere with performance. Google’s tool eliminates this barrier, offering a cost-effective way to replicate elite-level analysis at any level of competition.
“It’s a way for every coach who’s out there in a club working with young athletes to have that level of understanding of what an athlete should do that the national team athletes have.” – Anouk Patty, chief of sport at US Ski and Snowboard.
Beyond Sports: The Future of AI in Motion Analysis
This project represents just the beginning of Google’s foray into applied AI for athletic performance. The underlying technology has far-reaching potential in sports medicine, physical therapy, robotics, and ergonomics. By understanding human body positioning with unprecedented accuracy, these fields can unlock new efficiencies in injury prevention, rehabilitation, and human-machine interaction.
The success of this project demonstrates the power of combining real-world challenges with cutting-edge AI solutions. Google didn’t simply build technology for the sake of it; they solved a concrete problem for elite athletes, proving that AI can provide a tangible competitive advantage.
