Olympic champion Anthony Ervin and Kistler join forces to create a success story: In the run-up to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, the American trained using the Kistler Performance Analysis System for Swimming (PAS-S) to improve his performance off the starting block. And hit the mark.
In an epic 50-meter freestyle race, Ervin took the lead straight out of the dive. In hot pursuit by France’s Florent Manaudou, Olympic champion in 2012, the two athletes battled it out until the very end, with the 35-year-old Ervin ultimately gaining the upper hand, coming in at a time of 21.40—one one-hundredth of a second faster than his rival.
Kistler is proud to have played a part in this success with its PAS-S and looks forward to an ongoing partnership with Anthony – the fastest human in water – as its brand ambassador.
The Key Difference
The margins of victory in swimming competitions are becoming increasingly slim. The difference between winning and losing often comes down to just a few hundredths of a second. Details are the key to achieving success at the elite level. A prime example of this is Anthony Ervin’s Olympic win. In that race, a tiny detail made all the difference, as evidenced by Ervin‛s lead of one one-hundredth of a second. Such nuances cannot be detected by the human eye, but can be captured by measurement systems. During his training, Ervin relied heavily on the Kistler PAS-S. The measurement data and the feedback provided allowed him to improve his starting performance efficiently, resulting in a repeat performance of his previous success, 16 years after winning his first Olympic gold.
“The Kistler system PAS-S is the advanced tool I needed to turn th
e worst swimming start on the world stage, into one of the best, and thus
reclaiming the title of Olympic Champion.”
Anthony Ervin (Photo by: Becca Wyant/FINIS, Inc.)
Data for Progressive Performance Enhancement
Kistler PAS-S consists of a starting block overlayed with Kistler force sensors, turning plates equipped with additional force sensors custom-mounted at the pool’s edge, and high-performance cameras above and below the water. The system precisely captures key kinetic and kinematic parameters. The measured data are compiled in the PAS-S software, giving coaches and athletes a tool for analyzing and improving starts and turns. Immediate feedback allows the coach to introduce improvements during the same training session.
Partnership between Anthony and Kistler
For Kistler, Anthony is the ideal brand ambassador, with his star quality and popular appeal. “It is an honor for us to partner with Anthony Ervin as a brand ambassador for Kistler and to share our mutual success story with the world,” says Katharina Buechli, Head of SBF Biomechanics at Kistler.
Rolf Sonderegger, CEO of the Kistler Group, shares Buechli’s opinion: “It’s fabulous to be able to play a part in a success of this magnitude with our measurement solutions. This clearly shows that great things can be achieved by focusing on the smallest details. We can‛t wait to see what successes will be achieved by other athletes, teams, and coaches. After all, swimming isn‛t the only sport where we have a presence; our Kistler MARS system is also right at home in the world of soccer, ice hockey, football, and many other sports. Anthony Ervin has shown what accurate measurement data can do in sports. Solutions of this type are therefore becoming an integral part of elite sports.”
News courtesy of Kistler.
Would love to try this technology out!
“In an epic 50-meter freestyle race, Ervin took the lead straight out of the dive.” – a bit of a stretch, isn’t it? Ervin clearly comes back from behind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PAXVy0WViE&t=279s (4:28 He’s third from the left).
Although can’t argue that he’s improved his starts which helped lead him to a gold medal and a personal best! My point is, the facts are amazing enough (it was an epic swim!), no need to stretch them.