Not Many Know! This Is The Type Of Start Used In The Fast Road Race

Start used in the fast road race (freepik)

YOGYAKARTA - Did you know that the start used in the fast road race is different from running? Although both start from the starting line, the technique and body position of fast road athletes have special rules so they are not considered to have violated steps.

Well, understanding the type of start on a fast road is very important to increase speed while maintaining the body's balance.

In addition, athletes must be able to control the initial position, foot movements, and swing of hands so that every step remains in accordance with the official competition rules.

Unlike runners who use squatting starts, the start used in the fast road race is the starting start. This position was chosen because the fast way emphasizes the body's balance from the first step. Athletes stand tall behind the starting line, with one leg slightly up front and the knee is slightly bent.

Then, the hands are placed relaxed beside the body and the views are directed straight forward. When the "ready" signal is heard, the body is slightly leaning forward, preparing a back foot push for a fast first step, remaining legally in accordance with athletic federation rules.

Meanwhile, quoted from the Olympics page, the posture of an athlete who walks fast is actually quite simple. Elite athletes always keep their body position upright throughout their steps.

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Athletes' body parts should not lean forward or back and should not rotate when the hips move forward. If the body is too inclined, this will limit hip rotation and put great pressure on the lower back.

Then from the name of this sport itself, it has also explained the purpose, namely that the participants must walk as quickly as possible to the finish line, but remain bound by strict technical rules.

Unlike running, where runners often have both legs that do not touch the ground at the same time as running fast, in the fast way athletes must always have one leg that touches the ground and can be clearly visible to the human eye.

You need to know, in each race, there will be a number of judges on duty to ensure that this rule is implemented properly. If there is no clear foot contact with the ground, it is called "lifting" or a floating phase and athletes will receive a penalty.

According to Canadian Olympic athlete Inaki Gomez, it is clear that the human eye can capture movements slower than 0.6 seconds. So, the violation of the very fast lifting is still considered legal. Athletes must play at the limit of their ability, namely, on the edge of the rules.

In addition, the knee of the front leg must not bend and the legs must be completely straight when the body passes through. This is because every athlete walks quickly and is closely monitored and can be disqualified if they are seen bending their knees during the race.

In the official competition, there are five to nine judges depending on the category of the race. They judged with the naked eye and carried a sign with special symbols such as "~" for contact loss violations and "<" for bending knees.

If an athlete receives three warnings from different judges, including from the head judge, he will be disqualified. The red board will be shown to the disqualified athletes.

Fast road competitions have several standard distances. For indoor championships, the usual distances are 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters. As for the outdoors, there are numbers 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters, 20,000 meters, and 50,000 meters on the stadium track. In addition, the numbers 10 km, 20 km, and 50 km are also often held on paved highways.

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