Twisting Techniques Used in Freestyle Aerial Skiing

At the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, six triple somersaults with three twists or four twists were filmed using two cameras. Angles describing body configuration and orientation were determined and were used as input into a computer simulation model of aerial movement. It was found that the twist angle of each simulation deviated from the corresponding angle obtained from film by less than 0.08 revolutions during the first somersault of each movement. Contributions to the tilt angle after one somersault were determined using simulations based on modifications of the film data. It was found that of the six competitors, two initiated the twist during the takeoff phase, two initiated the twist during the aerial phase, and two used a combination of both methods.

Download Full-text

Contributions of Twisting Techniques Used in Backward Somersaults with One Twist

Journal of Applied Biomechanics ◽

10.1123/jab.15.2.152 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 152-165 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Maurice R. Yeadon ◽

David G. Kerwin

Keyword(s):

Computer Simulation ◽

Angular Momentum ◽

Simulation Model ◽

Tilt Angle ◽

Olympic Games ◽

Computer Simulation Model ◽

Video Cameras ◽

Counter Rotation

At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, 18 single somersaults with one twist in the women’s compulsory floor exercises were recorded using two video cameras. An 11 segment computer simulation model was used to analyze the twisting techniques used. It was found mat counter-rotation techniques accounted for less than one third of the twist for all gymnasts, indicating that the production of twist was mainly a consequence of the angular momentum and a non-zero tilt angle. Contributions to the tilt angle reached at the mid-twist position were used as measures of the twisting potential of various techniques. Contact techniques accounted for 30% of the tilt produced, the remainder being produced using aerial techniques, which primarily comprised a symmetrical lowering of the arms together with minor contributions from asymmetrical arm and hip movements. There was no evidence of a difference in technique between the highest and lowest scoring competitors.

Download Full-text

Twisting Techniques Used in High Bar Dismounts

International Journal of Sport Biomechanics ◽

10.1123/ijsb.6.2.139 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 139-146 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Maurice R. Yeadon ◽

Sung-Cheol Lee ◽

David G. Kerwin

Keyword(s):

Computer Simulation ◽

Simulation Model ◽

Tilt Angle ◽

Olympic Games ◽

Computer Simulation Model

At the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, eight full twisting somersault dismounts from the high bar were filmed using two cameras during the compulsory exercises of the Men’s High Bar competition. Angles describing body configuration and orientation were determined and were input into a computer simulation model of aerial movement. The deviations between simulation and film were less than 2.5° for tilt angles and less than 0.07 revolutions for twist angles. The twisting techniques employed were quantified using the tilt angle as a measure of twisting potential. Contributions to the maximum tilt angle were determined using simulations based on modifications of the film data. Each of the eight competitors obtained most of the tilt using aerial rather than contact techniques. In general, the majority of the aerial contributions arose from asymmetrical arm and hip movements.

Download Full-text