Factors influencing the performance of springboard dives of increasing difficulty

Major factors influencing the ability of divers to perform nontwisting spri ngboard dives of increasing degree of difficulty were investigated. The ana lysis was based upon 49 dives (42 in pike and 7 in tuck) executed by male a nd female medalists in the 1996 Olympics. Videotapes were digitized to dete rmine competitors' vertical velocities and angular momenta at the beginning of dive flight. Centripetal force and resultant joint torque models were u sed to estimate the effort needed to perform multiple somersaulting dives. Increasing degree of difficulty by spinning in a pike rather than a tuck po sition for the same number of somersaults was associated with decreased ver tical velocity at the start of dive flight, decreased angular velocity whil e somersaulting in a quasi-rigid position, and little change in centripetal force or related muscular effort. Increasing degree of difficulty by addin g a somersault while rotating in a tuck rather than a pike position involve d increases in vertical and angular velocities, a smaller increase in angul ar momentum, and notable increases in resultant joint torque and centripeta l force. Sufficient muscular torque to maintain a compact spinning position was considered to be the major additional challenge facing divers making t he transition from a 2(1/2) pike to a 3(1/2) tuck.