Biomechanics Sensors for London Olympics 2012

The UK Sport Agency recently unveiled biomechanics sensors that could be used at the London Olympics 2012. 

A number of Universities have been working on these types of sensors for over a year.  The aim of the sensors is to aid athletes and their coaches by measuring performance in the field.  By collecting real-time information about the biomechanics, physiology and genetic blueprint, coaches will be able to relate their athlete’s actions when playing sport and work on enhancing their performance.

Martin Haines gives us his opinions on whether the sensors will be of benefit to the sports industry. 

Martin says.....
This is a very welcome and perhaps long overdue step in the right direction as part of a scientific programme to help our athletes prepare and perform better.  Coaches have been talking about this type of programme for years to help them enable our relatively small number of athletes to compete fairly and on an equal footing against the larger nations.  It is great news that they will soon be provided this type of information.

However, this brings us to another item that urgently needs addressing, ahead of the 2012 Olympics in London.  It is one thing improving the athletes and providing them with information about how they can improve their preparation and performance.  But if their coaches are not being educated in the latest technologies and provided with the equipment to further these and other programmes, it could potentially be an expensive ‘one-off’ and to all intents and purposes be an expensive PR stunt.

There has long been the need for better coach education in the UK, and without great coaches, the chances of us creating great athletes are much lower.  Being such a small country and with such a relatively small population compared to the super-powers in Olympic terms, we need all the help we can get, and coach education is a critical factor which is being under funded.  

If we truly want to have long term success in our athletics and sports programmes, we have to spend more on coach education. There are coaches out there who are funding their own education out of their passion for the sport and get very little back in return apart from huge amounts of personal satisfaction.  These guys make great coaches, but there aren’t enough of them to have the impact that the public want to see at 2012. 

We should provide more help for our coaches and allow them to use the information provided by this type of exciting project.

Do you have any thoughts on the above subject?  If so, please visit the Intelligent Training Systems Facebook page and leave your comments.

Would you like to know more about biomechanics?  If so visit the What is Biomechanics page.