The effects of advanced spike technology on maximal sprinting speed (YIA)

Introduction: Para athletics, particularly sprint disciplines, have gained significant societal importance in recent years. Despite Paralympic athletes approaching Olympic standards, notable disparities in the start and acceleration phase compared to their Olympic counterparts have been shown to drive existing performance gaps (Beck et al., 2022; Bezodis et al., 2020). However, a comprehensive analysis of these phases across multiple Paralympic classifications remains absent in the literature. Common training approaches predominantly emphasize classifications and corresponding impairments (Fletcher et al., 2021). The present study therefore investigates performance disparities, spatio-temporal parameters, and potential cross-similarities in whole-body kinematics across sprinters of different IPC classification codes and Olympic sprinters.