[j!^4 21-P8. 1990 itMiy I.AA.F. The preparation of woinen for the 400 metres Hurdles Vitaly Breizer and Remi Korchemny 44 in this article the auihors slart hy \ Introduction e.xaniining the prerequisites ftn- selecting The 400 metres Hurdles for women was wtnnen athletes jor the 400 metres first inlroduced as an official event in the llurdles event. They ihen detail the international prtigramme in 1978 ai the advanlages and disadvantages t}fthe European Championships in Athens, and varitnis stride patterns that can be used. was only recognized as an Olympic disci­ Finally, they offer e.xample drills and pline in 1984 at the Games of the XXI.st training schedules designed to help Olympiad, Los Angeles. Because of its wimwn athletes integrate speed and relative novelty in woinen's sports, there techtdque to optimum effect. « * remain some areas of doubl as lo Ihe opti­ mum methods of selection and preparation of potentially successful athletes. This stutly will allempi lo clarify some of the difficulties peculiar lo Ihis event, and lo establish meihods of helping and iraining alhletes to overcome ihem. 2 Basic prerequisites for selection Dr \ Italy Breizer was As.sociaie Professor The selection of women for the 400 at the Department (f Biomechanies of the metres Hurdles is a very difficult task. Ceniral Inslilule for Physical Culture in Coaches and specialists in Germany and Mo.scow. He was also an assistant coach of the Soviet Union define Ihe ideal alhlcle as the USSR National .Athletics Team. He now lall (belween 175 and 178 cm). fiexible and works as an e.xert-ise physiologist at the with a basic 400 metres speed of around Physical Peiformance Inslilule of the 50.00. (Slepanov. coach lo Wtirld Record Greenspring Valley Medical and Sports holtier Marina Slepanova (URS), believes Reliahiliiation Center in Maryland. USA. ihat a hurdler wishing to approach her World Record of 52.94 should be capable of Mr Remi Korchemny worked as a sptiius running below 50 sec. for the 4(X) metres.) and litttdles coach hoth in the Soviet Vnicm Such an alhlete would be able lo concen­ and in .America, cttaching such athletes a.s lrale iraining efforts on the imprtjvemeni of Valeri Borzov and Grace Jackson. He is hurdling skills, and on esiablishing an now the USA Devehpment Co-ordlnator even distribution of energy ihrtnighoul ihe f'or The .Athletics Congress. race. Unfortunately, it is also likely that such need lo take an average of 207-208 strides an athlele would consider herself an elite in order lo cover the race distance. Il is 400 metres specialist and would be unwill­ Iherefore virlually impossible io reach a ing to change t)ver lo the hurdle discipline. high entiugh cadence or siride frequency to Consequently, the event lends lo be popu- achieve a time below 54 sec. laled by alhleies who have specialized less The 15-stride model requires only an successfully in other track events, particu­ average of 176-180 strides. However, this larly in the 400 metres, the HOO meires and model is feasible only for lall. physically the 100 metres Hurdles. strong athletes. The nitist comfortable An exccplion lo this gencrali/alion is model for many women hurdlers is 15/16 Sabine Busch (GER). who was the second or 16 strides, but Ihis demands that hurdle fasiest sprinter in her couniry in I9S4 with skills be mastered on bolh legs which is a 400 nicti'cs time of 49.24 when she de­ lime-consuming and lechnically difficull. cided to confront the new challenge of the Coaches shouid consider Ihe height. 400metres Hurdles, However, since switch­ build and natural running style of each in­ ing over, she - along with many other world dividual athlele: weigh up the advantages class hurdlers, both men and woinen (Edwin and disadvantages of the varitius possible Moses (USA). Nat Page (USA). Tatiana stride pallerns: and finally decide upon that Zelentsova (URS) - has complained of which is most comfortable and successful experiencingdifficulty in running4(K) metres for her. flat races. Busch, al the linic of her peak perfomiance in hurdling, could only run 4 Stride length and around 51 sec. for 400 meires. frequency over hurdles This discrepancy is reflected in the There is an opinion held by experts surprisingly small time differenlial belween such as Breizer, Siepanov and Zelentsova the best 400 metres and 400 metres Hurdles which stales that the sirides laken over a times of most elite women hurdlers (on 400 metres Hurdles race differ in length average 3.5 - 3.7 sec. as opposed to the 5 and frequency from those which thc same sec. differential belween the two World athlete would normally take when sprint­ Records). This general irend suggests two ing. Besides making constant atljustmenls things: I) that a good sprinter will nt« in preparalion for the action of hurdling - necessarily make a successful transition attack, clearance, landing - the athlele must from the flat to Ihe hurdles: and 2) that Ihe also adjust her rhythm and stride length presence of hurdles tir barriers necessitates between ihe hurdles in order to maintain a rhythm and a stride paitern which, if the correct siride pallem ai optimum speed. translated directly Io Ihc fiat sprini. has a A 15-slridc hurdler, running over 4(K) metres detrimental effect on speed. llai with the reduced frequency and in­ We will examine the various stritlc creased elasticity of siride appropriate to pallerns which can be used, with their her hurdling style, may finti her final 400 advanlages and disadvantages; and then metres time is 2-3 sec. slower than if she turn to drills and Iraining meihods which had run at normal sprinting speed. How­ can help the athlele lo integrate speed wiih ever, as fluency and rhythm are vital com­ hurdle skills to opiinnini effect. ponents of the hurdle event, an alhlete should not consciously change her hur­ 3 Siride models dling siride length and rhythm when train­ ing on the fiat. In other words, she should Some hurdlers, for example Fesenko be prepared lo sacrifice maximum sprinl­ (URS)(.'i4.14)aiidZclemsova(URS)(54.H9). ing speed lo a greaier economy and Hucncy can run sub-55 sec. races using 17 strides over hurdles. 22 belween llurdles. However, to do this they The 17-siride hurdler should train over movemeni. and can be achieved mtist ef­ flai disiances of 2()0-30t)ni which she can fectively if lhc suppori loot is placed ilal on ctiver with the reduced siride length and the ground). Clearance can then lake place, increased frequency appropriate to her with an ideal leg split in the air afier take­ hurdling style. off of 100-1 l(K The following model will help athleles The first slep afler clearance should be to judce a stritlc lentilh suitable lo Ihem: a long one. almost the same lenglh as a regular running siride (13-16). This action Strides beiween hurdles 14 15 U' 17 allows a continuous, energetic run, and helps Ihe athlete lo regain the corrccl posi- Slri.leleni;lh(iiinienvsi 1.21 2.1.1 :.(l I.S5 litining for the execution of optimal ca­ dence throughoul the hurdling intervals, ll is possible to minimize such prob­ lems in the preparation of world class hur­ 6 Specific drills for improving dlers if aihlcles capable of distributing their attack, clearance and first stride efforts evenly over Ihe whole race dislance and of mastering an allernaling leg rhylhm "fhe drill which will improve the effi­ are selected. These hurdlers can then learn ciency ol" these actions is known as ihe '10 subconsciously to maintain a specific siride in and 10 out'drill. The alhlete runs over a length: this alltiws ihem lo ctmcenlralc set of 6-12 hurdles set 35tn apart. Tape or their attention upon correct judgement of cones are placed ai a spot lOm on each side the attacking disiances (Ihc last lOm of of each hurdle. The athlete then jogs in each segmeni). lowards the first hurdle, accelerates, clears it and strides over the 1 Om post-hurdle dis­ tance. These actions are then repeated over 5 Attacking the hurdles Ihc rest of lhc hurdles. The alhlete firsl sends the appropriate If the athlete wishes lo master these leg and opposite arm forward over the skills on ahemate legs hurdles should be hurdle (.see photosequence on the follow­ set at such a distance that an even number ing pages). The rest ofthe action should of strides (2,4 or 6) have to be taken. folltiw auuimalically. Il is Ihrough coiTCCl Although it is important thai this type managemeni of the lead aciion thai the ofspecific drill be practised. Iraining must alhlete will properiy judge the attacking alst) include longer intervals run tm the Hat, distance. The arm should be driven Ibr­ as well as intervals on the tlal during which ward as far as possible, whilsl the opposite hurdling actions for alternate legs arc imi­ arm must stay close to the body wiihoiii tated. being moved backwards (7-10). This helps lo keep the shoulders square and stops the 7 Training models and trunk frt)ni twisting. annual training plans The attacking drive should resemble a Future hurdlers should consider the race door slamming. The take-off foot serves as models of elite hurdlers, such as that shown a hinge, and the take-off leg. logelher with in Table A. and cliotise one suitable to their thc trunk, ftimisadoor. The lead leg should build and capabilities lo follow as a train­ be perpendicular lo the ground (3-4). ing guitie {see Table A on the following The forward-moving knee should nol page).