Temporal analysis of elite men’s discus throwing technique

Authors

  • Vassilios Panoutsakopoulos Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
  • Iraklis A. Kollias Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4100/jhse.2012.74.10

Keywords:

Track and field throws, Official throwing distance, Single support phase, Double support phase, Biomechanics

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the duration of the throw and the official throwing distance in a group of elite male discus throwers. The time analysis of the technique phases (i.e. preparation, entry, flight, transition, delivery, release) of the participants in a top international athletics competition was used in order to conduct the study. Data were retrieved after recording seven right-handed throwers (age: 28.8 ± 4.1 years, body height: 1.94 ± 0.09 m, body mass: 119.4 ± 11.6 kg) with a Casio EX-FX1 (Casio Computer Co. Ltd) digital video camera (sampling frequency: 300fps) and analyzing the captured throws with the V1 Home 2.02.54 software (Interactive Frontiers Inc.). The relationships among the duration of the technique phases of the throw and the official throwing distance were examined with Pearson Correlation Analysis using the SPSS 10.0.1 software (SPSS Inc.). Results revealed that no significant correlation (p > 0.05) existed among the average official throwing distance (63.04 ± 6.09 m) and the duration of the discus throw or the duration of each technique phase. The temporal and correlation analyses were in agreement with previous studies. The dominant style of release was the release with no support on the ground. The majority of the throwers spent a larger percentage of the delivery turn (transition, delivery and release phases) being in single than in double support. It was noted that a short duration of the transition phase, combined with lower values of the ratio of the time spent for the starting turn compared to the time spent for the delivery turn might be favorable regarding the achievement of a larger throwing distance.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ariel G, Finch A, Penny A. Biomechanical analysis of discus throwing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. In: Wilkerson J, Ludwig K, Zimmermann W (Editors), Proceedings of the 15th International Symposium on Biomechanics in Sports, pp. 365-371. Denton, TX: Texas Women's University; 1997.

Bandura M. Biomechanical Analysis of the Discus at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Athletics. New Stud Athl. 2010; 25(3/4):23-35.

BARTLETT RM. The biomechanics of the discus throw: A review. J Sports Sci. 1992; 10(5):467-510. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640419208729944

Bartonietz K. Die wurfdisziplinen bei der WM '99 - Teil 2. Leichtathletiktraining. 2000; 11(4):24-29.

Bartonietz K. Deutsche werfer mit bärenkräften – Teil 1. Leichtathletiktraining. 2009; 20(10-11):21-25.

Bartonietz K., BEST RJ, BORGSTRÖM A. The throwing events at the World Championships in Athletics 1995, Göteborg - Technique of the world's best athletes Part 2: Discus and javelin throw. New Stud Athl. 1996; 11(1):19-44.

BERGERON J. Technique and rhythm in the throws. Track Coach. 2000; 153:4884-4886, 4893.

CARR GA. The discus throw technique. Athl Coach. 1970; 4(2):5-9.

DAI B, LEIGH S, LI H, MERCER VS, YU B. The relationships between technique variability and performance in discus throwing. J Sports Sci. 2012. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2012.729078

Dapena J. An analysis of angular momentum in the discus throw. In: Bouisset S, Metral S, Monod H (Editors), Proceedings of ISB Proceedings of the XIVth Congress of the International Society of Biomechanics (Volume 1), pp. 306-307. Paris: Societe de Biomecanique; 1993.

DYSON GHG. The Mechanics of Athletics (7th edition). Cambridge: Hodder and Stoughton Educational; 1977.

Endermann F. Another look at discus throwing. In: Wilt F (editor), The Throws: Contemporary Theory, Technique and Training, pp. 67-69. Los Altos, CA: Tafnews Press; 1974.

Floría Martín P. Análisis biomecánico del lanzamiento de disco. Categorización de variables de eficacia de la técnica. Tesis Doctoral, Universidad Autónoma De Madrid; 2006.

GEMER GV. Munich – Observations and comments on the discus. In: Wilt F (editor), The Throws: Contemporary Theory, Technique and Training, pp. 70-72. Los Altos, CA: Tafnews Press; 1974.

GREGOR RV, WHITING WC, McCOY RW. Kinematic analysis of Olympic discus throws. Int J Sports Biomech. 1985; 1(2):131-138.

https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsb.1.2.131

Grigalka O, Papanov V. Wolfgang Schmidt throws the discus. Soviet Sport Rev. 1979; 14(1):37-40.

HAY JG. The Biomechanics of Sports Techniques (3rd edition). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc.; 1985.

HAY JG, YU B. Critical characteristics of technique in throwing the discus. J Sports Sci. 1995; 13(2):125-140. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640419508732220

HULTEN CA Jr. A biomechanical analysis for developing diagnostic parameters of the discus throw through cinematography. Master Thesis, Southern Connecticut State College; 1980.

I.A.A.F. http://www.iaaf.org/waf09/results/.html; 2009

KNICKER AJ. Determining factors in discus throwing of top level athletes. In: Brüggemann G-P, Rühl JK (Editors), Proceedings of the First International Conference on Techniques in Athletics (Volume 2), pp. 670-677. Köln: Deutsche Sporthochscule; 1990.

Knicker A. Kinematic characteristics of the discus throw. Modern Athl Coach. 1992; 30(1):3-6.

Knicker A. Kinematic analyses of the discus throwing competitions at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Stuttgart 1993. New Stud Athl. 1994a; 9(3):9-16.

Knicker A. Kinematic analyses of the discus throwing competitions at the World Athletics Championships 1993 in Stuttgart. In: Barabas A, Fabian G (Editors), Proceedings of the 12th International Symposium on Biomechanics in Sports, pp. 363-370. Budapest: Hungarian University of Physical Education; 1994b.

Knicker A. Discus throw. In: Brüggemann G-P, Koszewski D, Müller H (Editors), Biomechanical research project Athens 1997: Final Report, pp. 161-174. Oxford: Meyer & Meyer Sport Ltd.; 1999.

LEIGH S, GROSS MT, LI L, YU B. The relationship between discus throwing performance and combinations of selected technical parameters. Sports Biomech. 2008; 7(2):173-193. https://doi.org/10.1080/14763140701841399

McCOY RW. Kinematic analysis of discus throwers. In: Dales GG (Editor), Proceedings of the IX International Track & Field Coaches Association Congress, pp. 96-99. Kalamazoo, MI: NCAA DIV I TCA; 1984.

Milanovic D, Hraski Z, Mejovsek M. Kinematic analysis of a discus throw - a case study. In: Milanovic D (Editor), Zbornik Radova, 1. Medunarodna Znanstvena Konferencija "Kineziologija - Sadasnjost i Buducnost", pp. 136-139. Zagreb: Fakultet za Fizicku Kulturu; 1997.

Miyanishi T, Sakurai S, Wakayama A, Togashi T, Kawamura T. A three-dimensional angular momentum analysis in the Asian top discus throwers. Jap J Biomech Sports Exer. 1998; 2(1):10-18.

Miyanishi T, Sakurai S. Angular momentum analysis of men's discus throwers in 1998 USA Track & Field championships. In Hong Y, Johns DP (Editors), Proceedings of XVIII International Symposium on Biomechanics in Sports, pp. 806-809. Hong Kong: The Chinese University of Hong Kong; 2000.

PANOUTSAKOPOULOS V. Biomechanical analysis of the men's discus throw in the Athens 2006 I.A.A.F. World Cup in Athletics. http://www.sportsci.com/start/apas/studies/Panoutsakopoulos-DISCUS.pdf; 2008.

Schmolinsky G. Track and Field. Berlin: Sportverlag; 1983.

SCHWARTZ GK. Fundamentals of discus throwing. Track Field Q Rev. 1986; 86(1):22-25.

Song Q, Mao D, Jia G, Zhang C. Discus throwing technique diagnose for elite discus throwers of Shandong. J Shandong Institute Phys Edu Sport. 2009; 25(11):61-63.

Stepanek J, Susanka P. Discus Throw: Results of a biomechanic study. New Stud Athl. 1987; 2(1):25-37.

Susanka P, Dumbrovsky M, Barak F, Stepanek J, Nosek M. Biomechanical analysis of the discus throw. In: Brüggemann G-P, Susanka P (Editors), Scientific Report on the II. World Championships in Athletics, Rome 1987 (Book 3), pp. 1-61. London: International Athletic Foundation; 1988.

Terauds J. Computerised biomechanical cinematography analysis of discus throwing at the 1976 Montreal Olympiad. Track Field Q Rev. 1978; 78(1):25-28.

Tidow G. Model technique analysis sheets. Part IX: The discus throw. New Stud Athl. 1994; 9(3):47-68.

Topalov L. A low squatting alternative for throwing the discus. Track Field Q Rev. 1991; 91(3):25-29.

Vodickova S. Comparison of some selected kinematic parameters of the best and the worst throws of the elite discus throwers at the Ludvik Danek's meeting. Rozprawy Naukowe AWF We Wroclawiu. 2008; 26:27-29.

Voicik M. The discus throw. Track Field Q Rev. 1983; 83(1):19-22.

Ward P, Ward R. USA discus camp – preliminary report. Track Field Q Rev. 1976a; 76(1):29-39.

WARD RD, WARD PE. A kinematic and kinetic approach to discus technique analysis. Track Field Q Rev. 1976b; 76(1):22-28.

YU B, BROKER J, SILVESTER JL. A kinetic analysis of discus throwing techniques. Sports Biomech. 2002; 1(1):25-46. https://doi.org/10.1080/14763140208522785

Statistics

Statistics RUA

Published

2012-12-31

How to Cite

Panoutsakopoulos, V., & Kollias, I. A. (2012). Temporal analysis of elite men’s discus throwing technique. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, 7(4), 826–836. https://doi.org/10.4100/jhse.2012.74.10

Issue

Section

Performance Analysis of Sport