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The Bobsled Push Start: Influence on Race Outcome and Push Athlete Talent Identification and Monitoring Alex Harrison East Tennessee State University

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The Bobsled Push Start: Influence on Race Outcome and Push Athlete Talent Identification and Monitoring Alex Harrison East Tennessee State University East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Student Works 12-2017 The Bobsled Push Start: Influence on Race Outcome and Push Athlete Talent Identification and Monitoring Alex Harrison East Tennessee State University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd Part of the Sports Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Harrison, Alex, "The Bobsled Push Start: Influence on Race Outcome and Push Athlete Talent Identification and Monitoring" (2017). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3313. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3313 This Dissertation - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Bobsled Push Start: Influence on Race Outcome and Push Athlete Talent Identification and Monitoring _____________________ A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Department of Sport, Exercise, Recreation and Kinesiology East Tennessee State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctorate of Philosophy in Sport Physiology and Performance _____________________ by Alexander P. Harrison December 2017 _____________________ Dr. Brad DeWeese, Chair Dr. Michael Ramsey Dr. Kimi Sato Dr. Michael Stone Keywords: Bobsled, Bobsleigh, Monitoring, Talent Identification, Push Start ABSTRACT The Bobsled Push Start: Influence on Race Outcome and Push Athlete Talent Identification and Monitoring by Alexander Pierce Harrison Bobsled is an Olympic sport that has progressed from rudimentary in the 1800’s to highly technological replete with biomechanical analyses and investment in engineering from the world’s top engineers. Little to no investigation has been carried out on all the tracks and the interrelationship between various measures of starts and sled-travel down-track. Further, little quality research has been produced in the athletic characteristics required for high-level competition in bobsled. The present manuscript investigates the reliability of, and interrelationship between, start time, start velocity, split times, and finish times in World Cup 2- and 4-man bobsled competition. A strong relationship between the three variables is found, but further research is needed to elucidate the actual effects of the push start on the sled’s travel down-track because of several confounding variables. The present manuscript also investigates the tests commonly performed by the USA Bobsled and Skeleton federation as a means of talent identification and athlete monitoring. Strength and power tests may have more validity for discriminating between higher-level push athletes, so long as a sufficient threshold of running speed is present. Speed tests only discriminate well 2 between lower level push athletes. Recommendations are made for modifying the current testing battery in such a way as to better identify talent and better monitor traveling athletes and informing coaching decisions about athlete preparedness for fast bobsled push starts. 3 DEDICATION This manuscript is dedicated to my family. Without your frequent actions that so beautifully displayed unconditional love throughout my youth, I truly would not have accomplished half of what I have, or be who I am today. This dissertation is one small manifestation of the empowerment that unconditional love can foster. 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Dr. Michael Stone – The more I learn and practice in our field, the more often I am reminded that you are one of the greats. You were, and are, truly ahead of your time. Only now having experience as the owner of a business, do I better grasp the gravity of what you have accomplished and the vision that you have for sport science. The students in your program are gifted with a truly unique and invaluable opportunity to learn from you and the program that you have developed. Coach Meg Stone – Much like my reverence for Dr. Stone, my reverence for you only increases with age. Excellence is demanded from students in your program, and I am happy to have experienced the occasional stern admonishment that is required to become excellent. Your understanding of the sporting world and what it takes to succeed in moving the profession of strength and conditioning forward is invaluable and I wish I had spent even more time talking with you about your coaching methods. I hope that I channel a bit of what you taught me as I push young athletes and young coaches to strive for excellence, now and forever. Dr. Brad DeWeese – Your artful application of sport science to training programming have been a consequential addition to my understanding of sport science and training theory. What I learned from you on all things speed and power development of the running athlete are utilized daily and were the spark for this dissertation. Thank you for your mentorship. Dr. Kimi Sato – Thank you for your critical eye in the initial formulation of this manuscript and for guiding me in my analyses. Your expertise and attention to detail is appreciated. Dr. Michael Ramsey – You are the glue that holds the program and the graduate students together and have worked tirelessly on my behalf with little reward. Thank you. 5 Blake Petersen – You are a great training partner and it has been a pleasure to use the knowledge provided by the aforementioned professors to assist an athlete who truly strives for excellence, and in the sport of bobsled, no less. If all athletes were as serious as you are in your approach to training, most world records would be lowered substantially. Lucas Dees – Your consistent dedication to Excelerate Sport and our athletes, as well as to Michelle and I is what keeps Excelerate going. Without your coverage of the odd hours of Excelerate athlete training schedules, this manuscript may never have come to fruition. And, thank you for your assistance in compiling much of the literature used herein. Dan Tran – Thank you for your work at Excelerate Sport and your eagerness to learn. I am beyond excited that you will soon have the opportunity to study under the amazing professorate listed previously. Without being able to trust you with a facility full of athletes, this dissertation would have taken years longer to complete. Paul and Shelby Nicoletti – Thank you for your doer attitudes and for always finding a solution to any problem. It is a pleasure to work in a supportive facility where there is never a roadblock to the growth of our business, our staff, or our athletes. Thank you also for your provision of the office where the entirety of this manuscript was authored. Lucas can attest, the Snohomish Sports Institute is a great place for late nights and to call home. Renaissance Periodization – Nick, Lori, and Mike, you have given me financial opportunity on a scale that makes all athletic and professional dreams possible, and you are an absolute joy to work with. Thank you for your flexibility, support and encouragement towards dissertation completion and competing for the greatest team on the grandest stage. Michelle Howe – Your patience, endurance, longsuffering, sacrifice, love, empathy, forgiveness, and grace is what made this and all else possible in my life. I strive to emulate you. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TITLE PAGE ...................................................................................................................................1 ABSTRACT .....................................................................................................................................2 DEDICATION .................................................................................................................................4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................5 TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................................7 LIST OF TABLES .........................................................................................................................14 LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................16 Chapter: 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................21 Status of Bobsled as a Sport...............................................................................................22 Regulations in the Sport of Bobsled ..................................................................................23 Track Regulations ..................................................................................................23 Sled and Crew Regulations ....................................................................................24 Considerations for Success in Bobsledding .......................................................................25 Push Start Relationship to Finish Time .................................................................25 Physical Measurement of Push Athletes and Relationships to Push Start Characteristics ......................................................................................27 Details of Proposed Research ............................................................................................28
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