Performance analysis in the 2005 South East Asian (SEA) games, held in Manila, Philippines – a case study of the track and field competition

Performance analysis in track and field competitions provides a very attractive tool to the coaches as this may facilitate them to strategize subsequent races during the competition as well as for long term developmental training. The information required for analysis is usually explicit and the blueprint to obtain this information is well documented. However, the planned setup and procedure may not be easily implemented during competitions. The real situation on the ground may require some anticipation, adaptation and modification to the planned procedures that will incur additional unplanned resources, especially in time. The awareness of such real ground situations will, arguably, facilitate the mitigation of such resource wastage. This case study of the 2005 SEA Games will reveal the blueprints, co-documented with the national athletic coaches, for obtaining the field information in the sprints, 400m sprint relay, long jumps and throwing events. More importantly, it will depict the insights into the thinking process of the four sports biomechanists involved in the derivation of on-the–spot solutions within the context of the ground situation. This will potentially provide a good reference for technical teams in their preparation for collecting field information in similar competitive situations.