Inter-Limb Asymmetry in the Kinematic Parameters of the Long Jump Approach Run in Female Paralympic-Level Class T63/T64 Athletes
Adrián García-Fresneda,
Vassilios Panoutsakopoulos,
Josep-Maria Padullés Riu,
Miguel Angel Torralba Jordán,
José Luís López-del Amo,
Xavier Padullés,
Timothy A. Exell,
Mariana C. Kotzamanidou,
Dimitrios Metaxiotis,
Apostolos S. Theodorou
Affiliations
Adrián García-Fresneda
Research Group in Tecnologia Aplicada a l’Alt Rendiment i la Salut (TAARS), Department of Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, TecnoCampus Park Mataró-Maresme, 08302 Mataró, Spain
Vassilios Panoutsakopoulos
Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at Thessaloniki, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Josep-Maria Padullés Riu
National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia, 08038 Barcelona, Spain
Miguel Angel Torralba Jordán
Department of Applied Didactics, University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
José Luís López-del Amo
National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia, 08038 Barcelona, Spain
Xavier Padullés
Chronojump Boscosystem, 08038 Barcelona, Spain
Timothy A. Exell
School of Sport, Health and Exercise Science, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2ER, UK
Mariana C. Kotzamanidou
Faculty of Health Sciences, Metropolitan College of Thessaloniki, 54624 Thessaloniki, Greece
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inter-limb asymmetry in the kinematic parameters of the approach run in elite-level female Class T63/T64 long jumpers and its relationship to performance. Three Class T63 and nine Class T64 female long jumpers were examined during a competition. The temporal and kinematic parameters of their approach steps (step length: SL; step frequency: SF; average step velocity: SV) were measured using a panning video method and speed radar. The symmetry angle was the measure of inter-limb asymmetry. The results revealed that SF and SV were significantly (p p p < 0.05) positively correlated with the maximum velocity attained during the approach and negatively correlated with the symmetry angle for SF. It is concluded that the observed asymmetry in SF was compensated for by the modifications observed in the SL that consequently resulted in no asymmetry in SV, leading the participants to effectively utilize their approach speed optimally in terms of long jump performance.
