Track and Field Indoor Championships set for Portland

 In Athletics

The USA Track and Field Indoor Championships are being hosted March 11-12 at the Oregon Convention Center in APDM’s hometown of Portland, Oregon.

The event will give viewers a look at elite athletes performing in events like Triple Jump, Pole Vault, Long Jump, High Jump, Shot Put, and various sprinting and running events.

The event will be followed by the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships on March 18-20, also held in Portland.

The quick event turnaround and location may prove to be an advantage to many US athletes that will be at their peak training condition at the first event. 2012 Olympic silver medalists Ryan Bailey and Galen Rupp both live in Portland, and U.S. indoor 400-meter record-holder Phyllis Francis lives in Eugene. Local female athletes include two-time Olympic finalist Shannon Rowbury, World Championships bronze medalist Emily Infeld, NCAA champion Shelby Houlihan, and former University of Oregon Star Nicole Blood.

USATF announced March 3rd that seven athletes have accepted invitations to compete for Team USA at the IAAF World Indoor Championships, including four multi-event athletes and three athletes from the IAAF World Indoor Tour. The athletes named were Mike Rodgers (60m), Nia Ali (60m hurdles), Omar Craddock (triple jump), Ashton Eaton (heptathlon), Curtis Beach (heptathlon), Barbara Nwaba (pentathlon), and Kendell Williams (pentathlon).

Continuing to train at peak performance is important for all athletes of all events, especially if the end result is a gold medal. APDM shows promise in the realm of running, capturing metrics that would be useful when analyzing performance. These metrics include things like planar motion, full gait cycle analysis including swing, stance, and double support phases, foot clearance, stride length, foot strike and toe off angles, and upper limb range of motion and maximum velocity.

 

Here are some examples of how these metrics could prove useful:

Long Jump: A successful long jump has a lot to do with the initial approach and planar momentum of the upper body. Opals can detect stride length, as well as planar movements in order to make sure an athlete is not losing forward momentum in the approach or in the air.

Shot Put: Rotation is a key factor in a powerful shot put throw. Opals can measure body rotation and can help identify how many rotations and at what velocity works best.

High Jump: High jump, like other track sports, requires a mass amount of repetition. Opals can help compare the approach, position, and posture of a jumper to make sure they are training effectively.

Running: Long distance or short distance, Opals can be set in Logging Mode to store data on board the sensor, then download to a computer after a run. Onset of fatigue is also a capability – track a runner’s gait longitudinally to tell when fatigue sets in to figure out why.

To read more about Opals in athletics, click here.

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