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FinishLynx for Track and Field

Purpose

Explain the shared Lynx workflow in 2Timer, including LIF and LFF imports plus the outbound files used by FinishLynx and FieldLynx.

Prerequisites

  • FinishLynx connector configured.
  • T&F meet events created in 2Timer.
  • Event numbers aligned between 2Timer and FinishLynx.

Standard File Exchange

For T&F meets, the usual pre-meet exchange is:

  • PPL for athlete / participant list
  • SCH for track schedule
  • fldlynx.sch for field schedule
  • EVT for event definitions and entries

Before the meet starts:

  1. configure the FinishLynx connector
  2. export the needed exchange files
  3. load them into FinishLynx
  4. confirm event numbers and entries match

Result Imports

During or after competition:

  • LIF files carry track-result data
  • LFF files carry field-result data

2Timer reads both file types from the same Lynx exchange folder and applies safe rows back to the matching entries. Rows with conflicting event or entry evidence are saved for Import Review instead of being silently applied.

Recent improvements in this workflow include:

  • better support for field-oriented export details so FieldLynx can isolate the right events
  • broader LIF / LFF parsing coverage from real race-day fixture variants
  • preservation of field-series details such as marks and per-attempt wind when that data is present in LFF

Matching Requirements

The most important rules are:

  • event names should match when possible
  • event numbers should stay aligned between 2Timer and Lynx
  • row identity signals should not conflict

2Timer-generated PPL and EVT exports use the visible race bib as the Lynx ID when one is assigned. Missing bibs do not block export. Durable 2Timer identity is written in Lynx User 3 as 2T.v1: metadata.

On import, valid User 3 metadata is checked first. If it is missing, 2Timer can use compatible bib, exact name/team, exact unambiguous name, or narrow lane/position evidence. User 1 and User 2 are preserved as raw file evidence but are not used for identity matching.

If a row cannot be resolved safely, it appears in Import Review. From there you can apply it to a suggested entry, create/link a missing athlete or entry when the file evidence supports that, repair event structure, or skip the result.

Hip Numbers and the EVT Lane Field

FinishLynx EVT competitor rows have a lane field. For eligible T&F track events, 2Timer writes either the lane/start position or the stored hip number depending on the meet’s Hip numbers setting.

If the meet uses sequential hip numbering, the number FinishLynx shows as a lane may be the athlete’s Hip #. See Hip Numbering.

Super-Events and FinishLynx

If FinishLynx is timing one combined physical race for multiple sub-events:

  • export using the super-event event number when that is the race Lynx is timing
  • let 2Timer route the results back to the appropriate sub-events when supported

Field events can still be exported in lynx.evt, but they should carry Lynx field designators such as LJ1, HJ1, PV1, TJ1, SP1, DT1, JT1, and HT1 so FinishLynx ignores them and FieldLynx can isolate them.

That means the public race-day story is now:

  • SCH covers the track schedule
  • fldlynx.sch covers the field schedule
  • EVT can still carry field events with Lynx field designators for isolation
  • LFF can bring the field results back with more of the operator-entered detail intact

Before Race Day

Verify:

  • connector path is correct
  • PPL, SCH, and EVT exported successfully
  • FinishLynx loaded the expected event list
  • event numbers match exactly
  • a test file import lands on the expected event

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