Qualities to look out for when choosing sprinters

AL Gondi

When the national football team played Tunisia, some people questioned the physique of our forwards since Tunisia and other countries have fairly well-built strikers.

A sprinter in sports is loosely defined as an athlete who attempts to run as fast as possible even if the circumstances are unfavorable.

The sports that require fast running are like in tennis, when one is returning a drop shot, swimming, football striker, athletes in 100m, 200m and 400m races, and the last 150m in the 10,000m race.

Male sprinters tend to have natural muscles that are not acquired through training and they are more muscular than runners in other events.

If the cross-sectional muscle area is developed at a young age, the athlete will develop a greater force that is essential during the initial stages of acceleration (surge power).

Type Of Muscles

However, in the 100m race, an athlete requires the right type of muscles, essential skills and the right neuro-muscular organisation. The male athlete should be averagely tall, with a height of between 1.65 and 1.90m.

The weight should range between 64 and 90kg. In the 100m race, an elite athlete should aim at 48 strides (equivalent to between 4.20 to 5.05 strides a second) and the average stride should be above two metres. In female elite athletes, the height should range between 1.58 and 1.78m, with the weight ranging from 52 to 72kg.

The female athlete should make about 50 strides in the 100m race. The stride length should be two metres, which is equivalent to between four and five strides per second. The female athlete usually makes more strides than her male counterpart but the stride length is less than that of the male sprinter.

Another important aspect in sprinters is the presence of certain muscle fibers at the start of the race, during acceleration and at high speed. Sprinters should also have the right sort of nervous system to drive them.

Other external factors include strength and direction of wind, air temperature, hardness and resilience of the track surface.

Individual Factors

There are also individual factors, which include the athlete’s technique, psychological state, motivation, fitness level and fatigue.

But sprinters should also be made aware of the demands of the short races. These include reaction or response to firing of the gun, initiation of movement, running acceleration, maximum velocity and decreasing velocity.

Response to firing of the gun and initiation of movement commences with a reaction to the gun and ends when the initial drive is complete and contact with the blocks is lost. Running acceleration starts when contact is lost with the blocks and ends when top speed is attained. Maximum velocity occurs when top speed has been attained at about 50 to 60m and is characterised by quick and long strides. It is also related to the length of the legs.

Decreasing velocity is deterioration of running consequent to failure of neuromuscular co-ordination or the decrease in certain elements in the muscles.