How Ice Rink Locations Affect Performance Time in Short-Track Speed Skating

Abstract

PurposeTo accurately provide evaluations on how match performance for elite skaters in short track speed skating developed, and whether geographical factors of ice rink locations should be considered apart from technical abilities. We created a dataset containing competition records from the 2013–14 to 2020–21 seasons (500 m event) on the official website.MethodsOne-way ANOVA was applied to statistically analyze whether the best performance times exhibited significant differences in varied hosting cities. Performance–time matrix and multivariate regression model were further established to quantitatively explain how geographical factors (longitude, latitude, altitude, and barometric pressure) affected performance.ResultsOur findings firstly confirmed that the fastest 500 m finishing times varied due to the hosting cities (P = 0.008) and showed that venue locations could boost or impair performance time with the maximum range of 3.6 s. Meanwhile, latitude (slightly over 46° when performance is maximized) was the most influential factor to account for the performance–time difference in different ice rink locations according to the multivariate regression model, though altitude (1,225 meters when performance is maximized) was also important.ConclusionsIn this perspective, elite skaters should check the geographical factors of the venues before they participated in the upcoming competitions, assess the real strength of their rivals, and adopt flexible tactics during training sessions.

Quantitative analysis of the dominant external factors influencing elite speed Skaters' performance using BP neural network

“…Figure 7 illustrates that higher rink altitudes correspond to an enhancement in race performance. This observation aligns with previous studies (2,3,4). For instance, Muehlbauer et al (5) demonstrated that at high altitudes, skaters exhibit shorter time per split lap (p < 0.001), resulting in a shorter total time.…”

“…latitude, and oxygen concentration (1)(2)(3)(4). Additionally, subjective factors, like athletes' technical abilities involving strength, mass, and motor behavior (6,7), along with game strategy (8), have demonstrated a notable impact on game performance.…”

“…They discovered that skaters hid behind others to avoid air resistance for a long time before the final lap tended to win, showcasing the significance of managing energy expenditure throughout the race. Sun et al (3) created a multivariate regression model, concluding that latitude and altitude were significant factors affecting performance time differences among various rink locations.…”