Athlete Profiling in Elite Sprinters: A Biomechanical Framework with Applications for Coaching Practice
Project description
In elite sport, differences in performance are often minimal: in the men’s 100-metre final at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, just 0.005 seconds separated the gold and silver medallists. Against this backdrop, a deeper understanding of individual performance determinants and the precise tailoring of training methods are becoming increasingly important. Whilst group-based analyses provide valuable insights into general correlations, they can obscure important differences in movement strategies and underlying neuromuscular characteristics among individual athletes at this level of performance. To date, there is a lack of scientifically sound methods with which such performance profiles can be systematically recorded and utilised in training practice.
The aim of this PhD project is to develop a biomechanical framework for classifying sprinters based on spatiotemporal movement patterns and neuromuscular characteristics. At the heart of the project is a multidimensional diagnostic battery that links sprint-specific movement patterns across various phases of the 100-metre sprint with neuromuscular performance characteristics. To this end, sprint- and strength-related assessments will be carried out with elite Olympic and Paralympic athletes during the individual project phases. Using biomechanical analyses and statistical methods, performance profiles will be identified, characterised and examined in relation to sprint performance.
The findings are intended to contribute to the further development of performance assessment methods and to provide coaches with a scientifically sound tool for interpreting individual athletes’ profiles. In the long term, the framework developed is intended to form the basis for a more targeted selection and evaluation of training methods, thereby contributing to the evidence-based individualisation of sprint training in elite sport.
