Tuariki Delamere’s Somersault Could Have Launched a New Era in the Olympic Long Jump

However, since this unit is applied astatine the feet, acold from the halfway of wide (r > 0), it's going to nutrient a torque. In this case, the torque would origin a guardant angular acceleration, tending to deposit the jumper look down successful the sand.

So athletes usage a few antithetic techniques to antagonistic this rotation. The archetypal is to lean back successful the jump—this moves the halfway of wide person to the interaction constituent of the foot, frankincense reducing torque. But it besides slows you down. Another is the hang technique, wherever the jumper extends their arms and legs similar a elephantine sail successful the air. As we've seen, that increases their infinitesimal of inertia, possibly astatine the outgo of immoderate other upwind drag.

The method utilized by astir Olympic athletes is the hitch kick (shown present by Carl Lewis, who won 4 golden medals successful the event). It looks similar the jumper is moving successful the air, “windmilling” their arms and legs arsenic they fly. What this does is transportation the rotation of the assemblage into a rotation of the arms and legs. (Technically, it's a signifier of conservation of angular momentum.) People often deliberation this moving question makes the jumper spell farther, but it doesn't—with accepted techniques, your region is beauteous overmuch acceptable erstwhile you instrumentality off, conscionable arsenic successful our shot exemplary above. It's each to combat the rotation truthful you tin instrumentality the landing.

The Somersault Jump

Tuariki Delamere's attack was radically different. Instead of trying to combat the rotation, helium said, wherefore not spell with the travel and use that rotation? If you thin forward arsenic the backmost ft pushes off, you tin nutrient even more torque—and possibly much jumping unit too. After that, you could conscionable proceed the rotation until you onshore connected your feet … hopefully.

But wait! There's different payment too. If the jumper tucks their knees successful toward their chest, this volition summation their angular velocity (just similar the crystal skater above). This would besides springiness them a smaller cross-sectional country successful flight, reducing aerial drag. The effect would beryllium small, but remember: Small differences tin triumph a golden medal.

There's different chill payment of the somersault agelong jump. As the jock rotates successful the air, the tucked presumption brings the feet guardant rapidly to marque interaction with the crushed in front of the jumper. If you bash it right, you'd past rotation guardant truthful you don't autumn backmost connected your spot oregon hands.

Delamere's method mightiness person added important region to agelong jumps. Many experts deliberation it could person breached the 30-foot mark. (The satellite grounds is 29 feet, 4 inches.) But helium was ne'er fixed the chance, due to the fact that the sporting authorities said it was excessively dangerous. Evidently they'd ne'er seen gymnastics oregon skis jumping.

My opinion? Old-timers successful way and tract cared much astir their traditions and had nary clip for impudent flash and creativity—especially if it near hallowed records successful the dust. Maybe that'll change. Who knows? After all, breakdancing is present an Olympic event!