In the 1880s photographers and sports enthusiasts confidently declared the end of dead heats in sporting competition. Reflecting a broader social belief in technology, proponents of the camera stressed that the device could provide definitive proof of who won and who lost. Yet despite this remedy for the inadequate human eye, competitive races between horses, boats, and bicycles ended too close to call a sole champion. More than a century later, when cameras can subdivide the second into ten-thousandths and beyond, athletes continue to cross the finish line in ties. In this fascinating journey through the history of the photo-finish in sports, Jonathan Finn shows how innovation was animated by a drive for ever more precise tools and a quest for perfect measurement. As he traces the technological developments inspired by this crusade - from the evolution of the still camera to movie cameras, ultimately leading to complex contemporary photo-finish systems - Finn uncovers the social implications of adopting and contesting the photograph as evidence in sport. At every turn empirical obsession intersects with the unpredictability of sports, creating a paradox wherein the precision offered by photo-finish technology far exceeds the realities of human performance and its measurement. Separating athletes by the hundredth, thousandth, or ten-thousandth of a second is often a fiction that comes with significant material and cultural implications. A lively biography of a critical technology, Beyond the Finish Line illuminates the cultural role of the photo-finish in win-at-all-costs culture and warn that in our pursuit for precision we may threaten the human element of sport that galvanizes mere spectators into fans.

Jonathan Finn is associate professor of communication studies at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Jonathan Finn's profile page

• Short-listed, North American Society for Sports History Book Prize

"Before I read this book, my thoughts on good photo-finish technology was: we just need super high speed cameras placed around a race track, synced with high quality/fidelity cables, and coupled with really good trigger sensors so everything is fully automated and precise. But now I understand that every sport governing body has different regulations because there are different limitations and tolerances/consistencies to consider for each sport and their environment. This was an eye opener for me. This is a great book. It has lots of interesting stores or recounts of events. For those who are into sports history and like technology stories, this should be on your "to-read" list." Sports Technology Blog

“There is important material here on the limits of measurement, drawn out by rich and informative exploration of several specific and highly contested recent instances in track, swimming and skiing exploring how decisions were made, the evidence deployed and judgments invoked by judges, and the limits of increasingly fine time measurements...Finn makes a significant contribution to sports history, as well as to explorations of technology and to philosophical analyses in the field. What is more, he does so in an engaging and accessible manner, taking potentially demanding ideas and material and making its meaning and significance clear enhancing the book’s multi-disciplinary significance.” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport

“This highly sourced book is a valuable and important contribution to not just sports history but also the history of technology and, to a degree, business history.” Journal of Sports History

"Beyond the Finish Line is a nuanced analysis of the interplay of technology and sporting competition. The author discusses the historical use of photography and film in breaking down the myth of the dead heat, as well as the complex and increasingly refined technology of timekeeping. In the process, he always keeps in mind the impossibility of removing human intervention from determining winners in close races. In particular, Finn makes the reader aware of the importance of market influences on what kind and what brand of technology would be used at the Olympics. Recommended." Choice

"Finn's meticulous walk through time shows that, as much as the tools have developed and as much as the relationship between humans and timing systems has improved our interpretation of results, computers and automation will never fully eliminate the drama of competition." Literary Review of Canada

"Beyond the Finish Line analyses our fascination with accurate measurement in the sports world. A major contribution to the discussion, it moves from a history of stop-action cameras to the development of precision timing at the Olympics and our unquestioned belief in its accuracy. It shows the limitless capacity of human endurance in the pursuit of speed and the efforts of machines to keep up." Marta Braun, Toronto Metropolitan University and author of Picturing Time: The Work of Etienne-Jules Marey (1830-1904)

"Beyond the Finish Line makes a compelling argument for how and why the art and practice of creating a photo-finish are socially meaningful and culturally relevant. Finn's thoughtful and provocative analyses open a new window to our collective understanding of sport, technology, and culture." Rayvon Fouché, Purdue University and author of Game Changer: The Technoscientific Revolution in Sports