A COMPUTER SIMULATION OF KINETICS IN LANDING OF GYMNASTICS VAULTING

Abstract

Gymnasts suffer from high impact loadings during landing and/or dismounts, and injuries are not unusual. The aims of this work were to develop a method for measuring or calculating the landing GRFs, which can be applied in practice and/or competitions, and to get loadings upon lower limbs during vaulting landings. A multi-body model with 19 segments and 52 freedoms was developed on the biomechanical simulation platform, software MSC.ADAMS / LifeMod. In order to test the validity of the model, the kinematics and simulation upon a university student’s drop jump were studied. The differences of maximum GRFs obtained from simulation studies and a force plate were less than 2.0% of the maximum GRF got by the force platform. After that, a vault performed by an elite gymnast was simulated and GRFs and net joint reaction forces and torques at ankle, knee, and hip were obtained.