This Sunday, Jamaican Usain Bolt could break his own record in the final of the 100-meter sprint at the London Olympics. According to a study published in the journalEuropean Journal of Sport Science, the runner would exceed his mark, managing to do 9.48 seconds,with a downwind of two meters per second and at an altitude of 999 meters.However, the Olympic city does not meet all the requirements, since it is located only 24 meters above sea level.
Researchers, from the New Zealand Institute for Sports Performance Research, Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand), conducted this curious study that analyzes theeffect of environmental conditionson the performance of athletes. To do this, they explored some 44,000 results from 619 male athletes, finding that, to the abilities of each athlete, other factors such as altitude, the place where the competition is held, the timing method or the wind are added.
In the case of Bolt, who broke his record at the world championships in Berlin (Germany) with9.58 seconds, the researchers estimate that the Jamaican should have run the 100 meters in 9.62 seconds without wind. “The wind therefore improved the record by 0.04 seconds,” Steve Hollings, one of the authors, tells SINC.
Altitude is a key factor that can also influence differently depending on the type of competition. “At altitude, athletes endure the shortest races becauseair resistance is lower“explains Hollings.” But in the 1,500 meters, the 5,000 meters, the 3,000 meters of obstacle course, and the 10,000 meters produced lower times. “This is because in the races at altitude the available oxygen is reduced and therefore the aerobic power of the athlete.
What is clear is that, although the wind or the height lend a hand, only the perseverance and hard work of the athletes are essential to get them on the podium.
