Effects of cables tension on characteristics of a gymnastics horizontal bar apparatus

Abstract

In gymnastics, there is a problem in which Japanese athletes who perform well in Japan are unable to perform as well as they would like in practice or competitions overseas. The manufacturer of an apparatus used varies depending on competitions, and the feel of an apparatus may differ from the apparatus normally used in practice, it is difficult to perform as usual. It is necessary for athletes to improve their own technique to perform well, and how to use an apparatus is also an important factor, especially in horizontal bar competitions. Because of different types of an apparatus, athletes who perform well in domestic competitions tend to be unable to perform as well as they would like, and their scores do not improve. As can be seen from the differences in the feeling of use that athletes feel during competition, structural characteristics of each manufacturer's apparatus can’t be accurately evaluated. FIG Apparatus Norms is difficult to measure, so if it is possible to accurately evaluate the feeling felt by athletes, it may be possible to further minimize the differences between apparatus manufacturers, leading to improved skills and higher scores in competitions. In this paper, we conduct a quasi-static load test with the bar displacement every 15[deg] from the gravity direction to the horizontal direction on a gymnastics horizontal bar apparatus. Based on the results, we will investigate quantitative evaluation methods for the structural characteristics of a gymnastics horizontal bar apparatus. We will also examine the effects of cables tension on characteristics of a gymnastics horizontal bar apparatus using evaluation methods.

Keywords

• gymnastics
• horzontal bar
• load cell
• cables
• apparatus
• ellipse approximation
• sports analysis