Biomechanics of the Sprint Start

Authors Avatar

Ananth Sriskandarajah        Draft 1         Scope

Biomechanics of the Sprint Start

Introduction

In track and field athletics, sprint races cover a range of distances from 60m up to 400m. There are three main types of crouched positions: the bullet, the medium and the elongated positions. A crouched start is more effective than a standing start as it places the sprinter in a position to move the centre of gravity rapidly well ahead of the feet and thus the runner must accelerate very quickly or else fall. Movement from the set position in the sprint start must not only be fast and forceful but should permit the sprinter to rapidly take up a mechanically efficient running position. Scientific research on sprint starting dates back as far back as 1927 when Bresnahan investigated the difference between starting from holes dug in the ground and starting from blocks.  Research has dealt with many factors that affect the sprint start such as the angle of the blocks, the block spacing, the forces exerted against the blocks, and the body position during the "set" phase of the sprint start. 

A Description of the Sprint Start

The sprint start is a motor skill. A motor skill can be defined as “an action or a task that has a goal and that requires voluntary body and/or limb movement to achieve the goal".Specifically, the sprint start could be categorised as a gross, continuous, closed motor skill.  It is a "gross" skill in that it involves large musculature and the precision of movement is not as important to the successful execution of the skill as it is for fine motor skills.  It can be considered "continuous" because the performer determines the beginning and end points of the skill and they are not specified by the skill itself. A starter gives three commands to start a sprint race.  These are "On your marks"; "Set" and then "Go" or else a gun is fired.  When the athlete hears the initial command, "On your marks", he/she moves forward and adopts a position with the hands shoulder width apart and just behind the starting line.  The feet are in contact with the starting blocks and the knee of the rear leg is in contact with the track. On hearing the command "Set" the athlete raises the knee of the rear leg off the ground and thereby elevates the hips and shifts the centre of gravity up and out.  Then on the command "Go" or when the gun is fired the athlete reacts by lifting the hands from the track, swinging the arms vigorously and driving with both legs off the blocks and into the first running strides. 

Join now!

Purpose of the Sprint Start and It's Objectives

"In starting, the emphasis is upon getting away from the mark as quickly as possible, and then into a position that will be favourable to developing the desired pace in the shortest distance".

The objectives of the sprint start can be seen below. The overriding principle is that it allows the athlete, if executed properly, to leave the blocks on balance and with maximum velocity.

The objectives of the sprint start can be seen below. The overriding principle is that it allows the athlete, if executed properly, to leave the blocks ...

This is a preview of the whole essay