Science, tech playing vital roles in Olympic training

Li Yongming, a professor at Shanghai University of Sport, has led a team of scientists aiding the training of China's cross-country skiing team over the past four years as the athletes prepare to take part in next month's Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

To prepare for snow sports competitions that have been dominated by Westerners over the years, hundreds of athletes were selected from a pool of 4,000 from other sports, including cycling and track and field, to join the skiing team, which had no more than 50 members four years ago, Li said.

The selection was based on factors including their maximum oxygen consumption－an indicator reflecting athletes' cardiorespiratory endurance.

Science and technology have played crucial roles in improving athletes' performances.

"The premise of training scientifically is quantification," said Li, science director of the national cross-country skiing team. "One of our fundamental duties is to monitor and analyze over 70 indicators regarding physiology, psychology and biomechanics for athletes.

"Technology helps quantify athletes' body conditions and training loads, and we deliver the analysis results to coaches."

In addition, he said, technology has been incorporated into identifying more precise data, which leads to performance progress.

"In cross-country skiing, for instance, athletes should be capable of choosing the most energy-efficient techniques when facing different terrains and speeds, similar to shifting gears while driving," he added.

Under such circumstances, satellite positioning systems and three-dimensional accelerometers, which pinpoint motions in real time, can effectively identify athletes' skills, and visualize and compare those skills with their peers, "substantially shortening the process of improving athletes' skills," Li said.

Technology has also been indispensable in offering an environment suitable for winter sports training throughout the year.

The National Snow Sports Training Center in Chengde, Hebei province, is the location of the world's first air dome cross-country skiing trail, with a length of 2.2 kilometers and an indoor temperature of -6 to -8C. It serves as a training ground for Olympic athletes.

"In addition, athletes practice cornering techniques on a 3D platform and optimize their downhill posture to reduce wind resistance through a wind tunnel," Li said. "High-tech equipment for recovery is widely used to prompt relief and reduce the risk of injury."

Aside from skiing, technology has been used to maximize athletes' techniques and perfect athletic movements in skeleton, a winter sliding sport.

Gao Binghong, head of the science support team for the Chinese skeleton athletes who will take part in the Games, said sensors have been installed on steel sleds to monitor speeds when athletes are pushing sleds and getting on them.

"In this case, 3D motion capture technology is applied by trainers to determine what aspects each athlete needs to focus on more," said Gao, dean of the school of physical education and training at the university's School of Physical Education and Sport Training.

The university has established a training quality monitoring system that is used to supervise training loads, athletes' techniques and psychological status, and provide technical support in rehabilitation, medical supervision and treatment, and nutrition.

The university has conducted 17 research projects related to sports science for the Olympics.

"Athletes train their minds and bodies to achieve breakthroughs every day in order to perform at their peak during competitions," Li said.

"The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games bring sports scientists a chance to translate sports science into practical training."