title: Characteristics of the start in women's World Cup skeleton.
abstract: This study characterizes key elements of the start in elite female World Cup skeleton athletes. The top 20 female competitors in three World Cup races were videotaped within a calibrated space to allow the following components of the start to be quantified: (1) acceleration (velocity at 15-m mark, time to 15-m mark), (2) capacity (time to load, total number of steps to load), and (3) load (velocity at 45-m mark). A correlation analysis was used to establish the relationship between the variables of interest and overall start time (15- to 65-m mark). Velocity at the 15-m mark accounted for 86% of the variance in overall start time at St. Moritz and 85% at Sigulda. A stepwise regression analysis revealed that approximately 89% of the variation in start time could be explained by velocity at the 15-m mark, time to load, and velocity at the 45-m mark. Of the variables analysed in this study, rapid acceleration to attain a high velocity at the 15-m mark was the most important component of a fast overall start time. The importance of the time to load and velocity at the 45-m mark vary according to the different track characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Australian Institute of Sport, Belconnen, ACT, Australia. nicola.bullock@ausport.gov.au
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bullock
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Angus
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Doug
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rosemond
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.forename: Frank E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Marino
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D038161:Snow Sports / Q000502:physiology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult