A flick of technological switch, turns athletics Superman Michael Johnson, , into a Bionic Man.
Fans can now log on to the internet to get a detailed report on what happens to Johnson physically during a race, thanks to miniature sensors worn on his body that transmit data about his heart rate, stride length and stride rate from the moment the gun goes off, until after he crosses the finish line.
"I know from watching sprints myself, it looks like the gun goes off and we run as fast as we can," said Johnson, Olympic champion and world record-holder in both the 200 and 400m. "This shows there's more to it than that."
The data, produced so far only from 400m races, clearly shows Johnson's acceleration phase, as well as points of relaxation and deceleration during a race.
When he won the 400m final at the US Olympic Trials on Sunday, cruising unchallenged across the line, Johnson's heart rate didn't peak until after the finish.
"That could very well have to do with the excitement of knowing I'm on the Olympic team," Johnson said.
To collect the information, two small sensors and a tiny circuit board that runs on a watch battery are taped to Johnson's chest before the race.
The system was originally devised to monitor Senator John Glenn aboard the space shuttle.
The first plan called for Johnson wear sensors on his ankles, which would track the movement of his legs 1,000 times a second.
At the Prefontaine Classic Grand Prix in June, the ankle sensors fell off. At the Olympic Trials, information on his stride is being amassed using digital video analyzed frame by frame.
Johnson and his coach, Clyde Hart, say the information, available on the internet at NBC Olympics.com, has more entertainment value than anything else.
"The information that we've found reinforces what we've know for several years," Hart said. "It's a good road map, but it hasn't really changed anything we do," – (AFP)
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