TECHNIQUES USED BY OLYMPIC SKI JUMPERS IN THE TRANSITION FROM TAKEOFFTO EARLY FLIGHT

This study was concerned with identifying important flight characteris tics of the ski jump at the end of the early flight phase and describi ng how these characteristics developed from the run-in through the tak eoff and during the early flight phase. The K90 individual competition of the 1994 Olympic Winter Games was analyzed. The 2-D data (takeoff) were collected by a high-speed video camera, and the 3-D analysis (ea rly flight) used an algorithm whereby two cameras followed the jumpers through the early flight phase. Center of mass (CM) velocities at tak eoff and after early flight and CM heights at these positions had no s ignificant linear correlations with total distance. Only small differe nces in these parameters were distinguished between better and poorer performers. Significant differences between jumpers were identified in angular parameters at takeoff and in early flight. A combination of f ive defined flight angles yielded an R(2) value of .84. It was found t hat the complex movement sequences involved in skijumping were therefo re more important in their contributions to optimal flight position th an the ballistic properties of the ski jumper reduced to a single poin t model.