The control of speed in elite female speed skaters

Abstract

From ten participants in the World Championships Speed Skating for Ladies 1983 a number of selected mechanical parameters were measured and correlated with speed and external power. The parameters were derived by means of video and film analysis of strokes at the four distances: 500 m, 1500 m, 3000 m and 5000 m. The results show that these speed skaters control the different speeds at different distances mainly by changing their stroke frequency and not by changing the amount of work per stroke. However, at the same distance the relatively small interindividual differences in performance level appeared not to be correlated to differences in stroke frequency but were correlated to differences in push-off mechanics. Better performers gain some potential energy during the gliding phase and show a more horizontally directed push-off in the frontal plane. Maximal knee extension velocity did not show any correlation with performance. The fact that this might be connected to the absence of a plantar flexion during push-off is discussed.