AIS Biomechanics - Adapting methods for Para Swimming

Summary

This video highlights the work of Mark Kipo, a senior biomechanist specializing in swimming, who works closely with athletes, including those with disabilities like Jesse Unles, a Paralympic swimmer. Kipo's role involves setting up equipment, interpreting biomechanical data, and adapting techniques to suit each athlete's needs. The video emphasizes the importance of building trust and communication between biomechanists, coaches, and athletes. Through technology and data, they optimize performance, making adjustments for athletes like Jesse who face unique challenges. The focus is on finding creative solutions to improve technique and performance in both Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

Takeaways

• 😀 Building trust and relationship with athletes is key for biomechanists; it's not just about sharing data, but about ensuring athletes trust the process and expertise.
• 😀 Biomechanics involves setting up and updating equipment around the swimming pool, such as force plates and cameras, to collect accurate data.
• 😀 Translating biomechanical data into understandable terms for coaches and athletes is a critical role of biomechanists.
• 😀 Research and the continuous creation of new knowledge are integral to a biomechanist's responsibilities.
• 😀 Working with Paralympic athletes requires special attention to their disabilities and how it affects their movement in water, including adaptations to typical techniques.
• 😀 A biomechanist must overcome initial embarrassment or hesitations when interacting with Paralympic athletes to properly understand their challenges and abilities.
• 😀 Understanding the specific challenges an athlete with a disability faces, like Jesse’s missing legs, is essential to improving their performance.
• 😀 While working with athletes like Jesse, biomechanists must adapt techniques and approaches to match the athlete’s body and abilities, often experimenting to find the best method.
• 😀 Technology, like the web plate system, plays a critical role in providing precise data that helps biomechanists refine their understanding of an athlete's movement and performance.
• 😀 Even in cases where the body’s capabilities differ, the goal is still to enhance performance to the highest possible level, whether that's through technique modification or finding alternative methods.
• 😀 The relationship between the athlete, coach, and biomechanist must be collaborative, with trust and clear communication to ensure that the athlete’s needs are met effectively.

Q & A

What is the primary role of a biomechanist in the context of swimming?

The primary role of a biomechanist in swimming is to set up and maintain the equipment used for measuring force and tracking movement, translate the biomechanical data into understandable terms for coaches and athletes, and engage in research to build new knowledge.

How does a biomechanist build trust with athletes?

A biomechanist builds trust with athletes by showing competence in their job, helping the athletes improve, and creating an environment where athletes feel supported and confident in their expertise.

How does working with Paralympic athletes differ from working with able-bodied athletes?

Working with Paralympic athletes involves understanding their specific disabilities and tailoring biomechanical analysis to their unique needs. A biomechanist must adjust the approach to account for the athlete's limitations and abilities, ensuring that the coaching and technology are adapted accordingly.

What challenges did the biomechanist face while working with Jesse, the Paralympic athlete?

The biomechanist faced challenges in adjusting swimming techniques for Jesse due to his lack of legs, which significantly altered his movement in the water. The biomechanist had to find ways to adapt swimming techniques and apply biomechanical principles differently than for able-bodied athletes.

Why is it important to use technology in biomechanical analysis?

Technology is important because it helps quantify observations, providing accurate data and numbers that confirm what is happening with the athlete's movements. This data helps biomechanists make precise adjustments to technique and performance.

How does the use of a force plate system benefit the analysis of swimming techniques?

The force plate system measures the forces exerted during diving and turns. It provides valuable data about the athlete's movements, which the biomechanist can use to adjust the technique for better efficiency and performance.

What is the significance of the collaboration between biomechanists, coaches, and athletes?

The collaboration ensures that the biomechanist's technical expertise is integrated with the coach's strategy and the athlete's personal goals. It’s important to build a human connection, so the athlete feels supported and understood, which in turn helps optimize performance.

How does Jesse's disability affect his diving technique compared to able-bodied swimmers?

Jesse’s disability prevents him from using a dolphin kick during his glide and underwater phase, which changes the depth and angle of his dive. Unlike able-bodied swimmers, the biomechanist must adjust the expectations and techniques to accommodate these differences.

What are the key differences in biomechanics between able-bodied and Paralympic athletes in swimming?

The key differences lie in the way the body moves in the water. Paralympic athletes may have limitations that affect their balance, propulsion, or underwater phases. Biomechanists must adapt the rules and techniques of swimming to fit these unique challenges while still aiming for high performance.

How does the biomechanist use data to improve an athlete’s swimming technique?

The biomechanist analyzes the collected data, such as force measurements and swimming patterns, and identifies key areas for improvement. For example, adjusting the placement of the starting block or optimizing the underwater phase to improve speed and efficiency, especially in Paralympic athletes.