620 Abstracts

THREE-DIMENSIONAL VIDEGGRAPHY OF SWIMMING TECHNIQUES

Toshimase Yenai and James G.Hay
Dep&meat of Exercise Science, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA. 52242, USA

The purpose of this study was to develop B method to record the 3D motions of a swimmer above and below the surface of the water.
The DLT algorithm (Abdel-Axiz and Karara) wes applied to determine 3D coo- from video recordings. ‘hvo periscopesystsms
wereemployedfor the data collection. Each system included P large and a small mirrors which provided an above- and an under-
water views, respectively. The views in the mirrors in each system were recorded by a single camcorder, so that a total of four
indeqenckt views were recorded by two camcorders. A control object was placed at several adjecat locations to calibrate the
volume for P complete stmke cycle of the subjects. The mean calibration errors were 12.06mm end 18.85nnn for the above- and
under-weter volumes, respectively. Two sample analyses were conducted. A former world record-holder and P beginning swimmer
served p8 subjects. One complete stroke without breathing was digitized for each subject. Two interesting results were obtained from
the analyses. First, asymmetry WBSobserved in the body ml1 and shoulder tilt angle patterns of both subjects -- the maximum body
ml1 angle to left end right sides were 25’ vs 35” for the elite swimmer end 35“ vs 46’ for the beginner. The maximum body toll
angle was greater for each subject’s pmfered breathing side. Second, e technique fault known es “dmppedelbow” was identified
in the beginner by exemining the shoulder joint angles. The elite swimmer had a peak internal rotation angle (160’) and B relatively
constent horizontal abduction angle (20’ to -35”) during the initial press. This matched exactly whet Counsilman described (1968)
as the “elbow-up pull.” The beginner’s internal rotation angle fell to less than 0’ immediately after entry. The low intemnl rotation
angle (< 35”) during the initial press, and an accompanying low horizontal abduction angle (min. -7O’), made it impossible for him
to keep the “elbow higher than the hand.” These observations suggest that internal rotation of the shoulder is critical to the attainment
of an “elbow-up pull. ’

ANGULAR MOMENTUM AND PERFORMANCE IN THE TRIPLE JUMP

Bing Yu and James G. Hay
Department of Exercise Science
The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
The purposes of this study were (a) to determine the magnitude of the angular momentum elite triple jumpers
possess during each of the three phases of a triple jump, and (b) to identify those characteristics of the angular momentum
that are closely related to the actual distance of the triple jump. The subjects were the 13 finalists in the men’s triple
jump event at the 1992 United States Olympic Trials. A Direct Linear Transformation procedure with panning cameras
was used to collect 3D coordinate data. Angular momentum about each of the three principal axes at the takeoff of each
of the last stride, hop, step, and jump was computed from the smoothed 3D coordinate data and normalized to body mass
(rn& and standing height (hb). Means and standard deviations were computed for each component of the angular
momentum. Linear and non-linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between angular
momenta and actual distance. The results suggested that the side-somersaulting angular IIIOmenNm at the takeoff of the
step is important in determining actual distance; that the estimated optimum magnitude of this side-somersaulting angular
momentum is 0.0069 m, hbz towards the side of the free leg; that the side-somersaulting angular momentum needed at
the takeoff of the step should be obtained during the support phase of the hop; and that the change in the side-
somersaulting angular momentum during the support phase of the step should be minimized. Possessing a side-
somersaulting angular momentum towards the side of the free leg during the flight phase of the hop may assist a triple
jumper to maintain horizontal velocity and produce vertical velocity during the support phase of the step by decreasing
the magnitude of the initial vertical impact force at the touchdown of the step.

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P.F. VU, S.D. Betty, LM. Cimky,andS.L Smith
lAliwM Stak univahy, w of Exercisescico~s Tanpa, AZ 83287-0404