Biomechanical Analysis of the High Jump Essay Example

Introduction The high jump is a track and field event testing your ability to jump over a horizontal bar. Both men and women compete in this event in which the jumper runs towards the bar and launches his body over it onto a soft mat. The bar is higher as each athlete clears a given height. Athletes have 3 chances to clear a height and stay in the competition. The winner is the person who clears the greatest height. In the video provided in class we saw that athletes continue to jump higher and higher as the years progress but how?
Techniques Have Changed Over the Years
The answer to this question can be found through biomechanical analysis and watching different strategies in slow motion to provide advanced techniques. There are many different techniques used to clear the bar but the prior approach and motor behavior in the air is most significant. Acceleration and timing of the approach are crucial for a good jump. You must be conscious of body position, take-off foot and leaping upwards among other things when taking off. In the video there are numerous positions of the arms presented, the use of the arms help direct your body over the bar and leaping power in each different approach. The video also presented us with many different body compositions but most of the athletes were lengthy in height and slim at the waist. Prior to the jump it is essential to have good acceleration and timing for an imperative jump. Most of the athletes have a different approach to the bar, which helps them to gain maximal acceleration prior to their airtime. The curved run has been used in later world records set by athletes. The idea behind this method is that the individual has more time to accelerate and more time to do so which ultimately gives them the best push off of the ground. The only element in competition that counts in competition is clearing the bar. The video shows us that athletes use several high jump techniques to achieve this accomplishment. Launching