3-DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS OF HANDSPRING WITH FULL TURN VAULT - DETERMINISTIC MODEL, COACHES BELIEFS, AND JUDGES SCORES

The purpose of the study was to identify mechanical variables that gov ern successful performance of the handspring with full turn vault. Sub jects were 67 male gymnasts from 25 countries performing the vault dur ing the 1992 Olympic Games. The vaults were filmed by two 16-mm Locam II DC cameras operating at 100 Hz. Approxi mately 80 frames per subjec t were digitized for each camera view Direct Linear transformation (DL T) was used to calculate the 3-D coordinates of the digitized body poi nts. The method of Hay and Reid (1988) was used to develop a theoretic al model to identify the mechanical variables that determine linear an d angular motions of the vault. Significant correlations (p <.005) ind icated that the following were important determinants for success: lar ge horizontal velocity, large horizontal kinetic energy term, and over all translational kinetic energy term at takeoff from the board; short duration, small vertical displacement of the center of gravity (CG), and small somersaulting angular distance of preflight; large vertical velocity and large vertical kinetic energy term at takeoff from the ho rse; and large ''amplitude of postflight,'' that is, large horizontal and vertical displacements of CG and long duration of flight; great he ight of CG during the second quarter-turn in postflight; and small poi nt deduction for landing.