100m Hurdle race:Time Analysis of Olympic Level Women

Athanasios Tsiokanos

Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Hellas

Abstract
Time parameters of six female hurdlers, taking part in the final race of the 100 m hurdles in theOlympic Games of Athens 2004, were managed and analyzed using video techniques. The parametersof approach run time, run-in time, inter-mediate touchdown times after each barrier, and intervaltimes for the hurdle units were analyzed. The descriptive statistics demonstrated that the maximumrunning velocity is developed between the 5th and 6th barrier (interval time 0.97 sec), while the conducted correlation analysis demonstrated that statistically significant correlation (r=.82-.98) is revealed between the final performance and the inter-mediate touchdown times after the 6th to 10th barrier. The relative temporal parameters, examining the temporal distribution of the competitive efforts during the race, were used for safe comparisons between the final race of the Athens 2004 and the World Championship of Athens 1997 and the Olympic Games of Seoul 1988. The findings of the study provide significant information for the programming and modelling of technical training of thewomen hurdlers.

Key words:Hurdle race, 100m; biomechanics; time analysis; statistics; technique; elite women athletes