The block
or crouch start is an integral part of sprinting in athletics as ruled by the
International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF). It occurs at the beginning of
various sprint races in athletics, including 100m, 200m, 400m, Hurdles and
Relays (Ballesteros 1979). In all of these events the crouch start is
vital, giving an athlete an explosive start to their race and initiate acceleration
into their top sprinting speed. A block start can be broken down into four
phases (fig 1);
- ‘On your marks’
- ‘Set’
- Gun
- Acceleration
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| Picture sources 23-4-13- speedendurance.com |
These phases work together for an
athlete to begin the running motion in the most optimum way. Various
biomechanical principles are at play within this complex movement to gain the
fastest acceleration as possible. I will investigate this movement answer the
question ‘how can a sprinter get the most
powerful start out of the blocks from a crouch start?’ through a
biomechanical approach.
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