Race profiles of rowers during the 2014 Youth Olympic Games

Aim: Strategy plays a relevant role. The purpose of this study was to analyze the race profiles of youth athletes competing at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games over a distance of 1000-m. Methods: According to the competition outcome of sculling and sweep events, 48 male and 48 female youth (17–18 years) rowers were divided in medallist (W), not medallist (NW), qualified (Q) and not qualified (NQ) athletes. Time at 0–500 m (T1) and 500–1000 m (T2) was considered. The average speed for T1 and T2 were normalized in relation to the average speed of the whole race. ANOVA for repeated measures was applied to performance 1xJ and 2-J during qualifying: 2 (sex: females vs. males) 9 2 (outcome: qualified vs. notqualified), repechages and semi-finals: 2 (sex: females vs. males) x 2 (outcome: FB vs. NFB) 9 2 (boat: 1xJ vs. 2-J) and final: 2 (sex: females vs. males) 9 2 (outcome: M vs NM) 9 2 (boat: 1xJ vs. 2-J). Results: Qualifying 1xJ show a difference (F(1, 44) = 57.76, p.001; ES = 0.75) and emerged only between competition sectors, with higher values for T1 (101.9 ± 1.7 %) respect to T2 (98.1 ± 1.7 %). Similarly, for repechages and semifinals phase 1xJ and 2-J, a difference (F(1,40) = 31.8, p.001; ES = 0.57) was found between competition sectors, with highest values for T1 (101.6 ± 2.3 %) and lowest for T2 (98.4 ± 2.3 %). For the final phase of the 1xJ and 2-J competitions, no main effect was found. In repechages and semifinals, rowers adopting a positive strategy (88 %), while during the final phase medallist (67 %) adopting a negative strategy. Conclusions: in this study emerges that athletes who adopted a negative strategy had more chance of winning respect to athletes who adopted a positive strategy. Reference Garland SW (2005) An analysis of the pacing strategy adopted by elite competitors in 2000 m rowing. Br J Sports Med 39:39–42.