Technique characteristics of 13–15-year-old female athletes specializing in race walking at the stage of preliminary basic preparation

Abstract

Analysis of the technique of competitive exercise performance by 13–15-year-old female athletes specializing in race walking is the basis for further improvement of the training process, both at the stage of preliminary basic preparation and subsequent stages of long-term preparation. Objective: to determine the main kinematic characteristics of the techniques of female athletes specializing in race walking at the stage of preliminary basic preparation. Material: technique kinematic characteristics of 19 athletes (13.9 ± 1.07 years old) at a distance of 2 km at the 2016 and 2017 Championships of Ukraine, as well as those of two of these athletes at the stage of specialized basic preparation at the Championship of the Association of Balkan Athletics Federations in 2020 and the Championship of Ukraine in 2021 at 5 and 10 km distances, were analyzed. Results: to achieve at a distance of 2 km the level of results equal to x = 9:57 (S = 0:17), the average speed at that distance should be 3.35 m·s−1 (S = 0.10), stride length – 1.07 m (S = 0.03), stride frequency – 3.14 stride·s−1 (S = 0.08), duration of the support phase – 0.298 s (S = 0.011), that of flight – 0.021 (S = 0.005), angle of foot placement on the ground – 70.43° (S = 2.15), and take-off angle – 59.96° (S = 1.91). Conclusions: the values of technique biomechanical characteristics of 13–15-year old female athletes at the stage of preliminary basic preparation reach high indices and approach those of adult athletes of the high national level at distances of 20 and 50 km. The age of 13–15 years is important for athletes specializing in race walking for the formation of the basic elements of technique (i.e., stride length and frequency) and should be taken into account when designing the training process and long-term training strategy.