Panasonic helps Britain’s Shelley Rudman win silver

Olympic Skeleton Team members’ preparations were given a last minute boost by the generous donation of a new top of the range video camera and PT-LM2EB data projector for capturing and viewing track side footage from Panasonic.
Head National Coach, Michael Gruenberger, highlighted the importance of good video footage. He said: “The new Panasonic camera produces high quality images that allow us to more accurately see what our sliders are doing in corners. Video feedback to our sliders has been significantly enhanced by viewing these images on a big screen with the PT-LM2 projector rather than a small TV.”
Video feedback is a core component of the skeleton coaching process. The British Team captures footage of its own athletes and major competitors from other nations on key corners every day in training throughout the 20 week winter season. The images are then captured onto a laptop, and analysed in great detail using Quintic biomechanical motion analysis software system before the coaches show clips to athletes using the PT-LM2 projector. This feedback is used to develop sliding strategy, perfect lines and correct faults.
Performance Director Simon Timson explained: “Athletes only have two or three runs per day on the track. That’s 180 seconds of sliding time. Perfecting performance on a track takes hours of planning, preparation and review. High quality video feedback is essential and the equipment provided by Panasonic has helped to make the difference between success and failure in Turin.”
Rudman staged a sensational second run in the women’s skeleton to snatch Olympic silver. (CD/GB)