Giant Slalom: Analysis of Course Setting, Steepness and Performance of Different Age Groups — A Pilot Study

Abstract

Introduction: Giant slalom is the core discipline of alpine skiing, and each race has its own specific course and terrain characteristics. These variations may explain differences in the speed and time per turn profiles, which are essential for performance development and injury prevention. This study aims to address the differences in course setting and steepness of the different course sections (flat-medium-steep) and compare them to the performance parameters among young (U12, U14, U16) and older (U18, U21, elite) male athletes. Methods: The study examined a total sample size of 57 male athletes; 7 from elite level, 11 from U21, 13 from U18, 6 from U16, 13 from U14, and 7 from U12. The athletes wore a portable global navigation satellite system (GNSS) sensor to extract performance parameters. The course profiles and gate positions of nine runs were measured with differential GNSS. The runs were divided into flat, medium and steep sections. From the performance parameters (speed, time per turn, etc.) and the course setting variables, the mean value per section was calculated and used for the further analysis. Results: In total, 192 run sections from 88 runs were recorded and analyzed. Comparisons between course settings in young and older classes showed no significant differences. However, the turning angles and horizontal gate distances were smaller in flat sections. Average speed (49.77 vs. 65.33 km/h) and time per turn (1.74 vs. 1.41 s) differed significantly between young and U21/elite categories. In medium terrain sections U21 and elite athletes spent more time in the gliding phase compared to all other athletes. Discussion: It seems to be a reasonable that, given similar course setting and steepness, speed increases concurrently with the technical and tactical skills of the athlete. Moreover, the finding that the elite athletes spent more time in the gliding phase could be crucial for understanding technique and performance development in young athletes.

We know a lot about little and little about a lot: A contextualized scoping review on injury prevention in alpine ski racing

“…As such, the need to include the off‐season period has been recently emphasized, as there is a risk of underestimating injury occurrence, as well as injury risks and patterns that differ among season periods with a special focus on gradual onset injuries 1,3,54 . Furthermore, different terminology and criteria were used by researchers and federations concerning alpine skiers' competition levels, ranging from national performance‐driven criteria (e.g., Austria and Switzerland), 2,42,54,116,130,171 and FIS points 40,96,97,98,101,117,128,145 to the WC Start List 42 . Again, the lack of consensus and such differences make comparing studies highly troublesome.…”

Identification of the optimal racing line for top male athletes on a segment of a World Cup downhill alpine ski slope using tracking data

“…Additionally, in the past years Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) sensors became popular for analyzing alpine ski racing. Acceleration and velocity data on a given racing line derived from GNSS-tracking data are used as important performance indicators and delivered important insights into alpine ski racing (Bruhin et al, 2020;Fasel et al, 2016;Federolf, 2012;Gilgien et al, 2013Gilgien et al, , 2015Spörri, 2012).…”

“…Since the more accurate, differential GNSS systems require more equipment, these are not worn in training or race situations (Gilgien et al, 2015). In training or race situations, stand-alone GNSS sensors have become small enough to wear (Bruhin et al, 2020;Fasel et al, 2016).…”

Influence of the Slope and Gate Offset on Movement Variability and Performance in Slalom Skiing

“…This is due to the high degree of uncertainty that arises when interacting with the environment at high speed [2]. When competing, the skier must be prepared to deal with variations in the terrain such as the steepness of the slope [3][4][5], and with variations in the course setting, such as the horizontal gate offset, that will regulate the amount that a course will be turned [6,7]. Therefore, in order to adjust to all types of terrain changes and course configurations, the central and peripheral nervous system of alpine skiers must work quickly and efficiently at every moment of the race [2,8].…”