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This project provided elite biomechanical support to Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft, enhancing performance and setting a foundation for future innovation in wheelchair racing.
Elite wheelchair racing athletes face significant financial and performance-related barriers that hinder their development and success. A racing wheelchair suitable for elite competition can cost around £30,000 and requires specialist set-ups to optimise racing position and biomechanics. Without access to expert testing and analysis, athletes risk both reduced performance and increased injury rates.
In the north of England, there are currently very limited opportunities for para-athletes to access biomechanical testing or evidence-based guidance on how to maximise their performance safely. This lack of support not only places athletes at a disadvantage but also limits opportunities for innovation and partnership within the field of para-sport. The project was therefore designed to bridge this gap by creating meaningful, science-based support services for disabled athletes.
The Approach
The project centred on developing a small-scale but impactful programme specifically tailored to support the needs of Hannah Cockroft and other wheelchair athletes. A key element of this work was the use of biomechanical analysis, which provided Hannah with the opportunity to test and evaluate her performance on rollers and on the indoor track in our Carnegie School of Sport building.
Using high-speed motion capture (Qualisys cameras) enabled the position of the hands, arms and torso to be recorded which helped to inform technical modifications in pushing style. In addition, we utilised the 1080 motion system to measure Hannah’s acceleration profile at different loads by implementing a series of incremental resistances applied against the wheelchair. These approaches enabled Hannah to identify areas for improvement which we there then able to evaluate following targeted periods of training.
The Impact
By drawing on specialist sport science expertise, the project offered Hannah targeted, evidence-based support that is rarely accessible to para-athletes in the region. This not only provided her and her coach, Paul Moseley, with practical insights to refine her pushing technique but also demonstrated how scientific approaches can be applied in meaningful ways to enhance the training and competitive performance of elite wheelchair athletes. Feedback from Hannah and other athletes suggested that the opportunity to review and adjust set-ups was valuable, particularly given the high personal costs associated with equipment.
The project has established a foundation for future service provision in this area of para-sport. Notably, the project demonstrates how biomechanical analysis can be applied to support disabled athletes in ways that are both meaningful and accessible.
Looking forward, the work has the potential to inform stronger collaborations with equipment manufacturers and testing technology providers. While still at an early stage, these partnerships could help shape future innovations in wheelchair racing and ensure that athletes are better supported throughout their careers.
Wheelchair Racing is such a technical sport and up until now, a lot of it's been guesswork, looking around the world and seeing what other people are doing and, and essentially trying to copy that.
I think having that state of the art world class team behind me, it will make me the one to copy rather than other people. So, the more minds we can get behind that, hopefully the better it is and the faster I'll go.
Gareth Nicholson is a Course Director for the Postgraduate Suite of Sports Science courses, Academic Discipline-group Lead for Biomechanics and a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Biomechanics within the School of Sport.
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