1. Performance
Enhancement
-­‐
Video
Technology
Case
Studies
&
Implementation
By:
Scott
Novack
Reviewing
video
during
training
and
in
competition
has
the
ability
to
gain
that
incremental
advantage
in
winning
a
medal
or
a
championship.
The
following
are
case
studies
of
how
video
and
the
appropriate
review
process
was
integrated
into
different
Olympic
sports
that
rendered
success.
Bobsled/Skeleton
(2008-­‐2014)
–
Bobsled
and
skeleton
results
are
measured
in
.01
of
a
second.
While
video
is
an
integral
part
of
training,
an
athlete
only
has
six
runs
before
each
race.
In
2008,
no
countries
executed
instant
video
review
between
heats
in
training,
nor
a
race.
From
February-­‐October
2009,
an
instant
video
process
between
heats
was
created
and
implemented
during
the
2009-­‐2010
World
Cup
season.
This
is
where
video
from
either
the
live
feed
(TV)
or
a
specific
curve
was
captured,
uploaded
to
a
server
and
replayed
through
Dartfish
or
SlingBox.
The
upload
either
took
place
with
an
internet
card
or
the
USOC
uploaded
the
live
feed.
By
the
time
the
team/athlete
returned
to
the
start
house,
the
video
was
ready
for
review
by
the
coaches
and
the
pilots
and
push
athletes.
Erin
Pac,
Olympic
bronze
medalists
reviewing
video
with
US
coaching
staff
in
between
heats
at
the
2010
Vancouver
Olympic
Games
The
video
review
allowed
the
coaches
to
dissect
the
fast
Vancouver
track
and
help
decrease
the
learning
curve
of
the
athletes.
The
video
process
implemented
contributed
to
both
Olympic
medals
won
by
USA
Bobsled/Skeleton
at
the
2010
Vancouver
Olympic
Games.
As
technology
advanced,
so
too
did
the
processes
to
replicate
the
feats
achieved
in
Vancouver.
Through
the
2010-­‐2012
seasons,
through
trial
and
error
with
different
hardware
and
software
systems
(iPad,
Teradek,
Ubersense
&
Dartfish),
it
was
the
iPad,
Ubersense
and
a
SIM
card
that
met
and
exceeded
the
processes
created
in
Vancouver.

2. Going
into
the
2014
Sochi
Olympic
Games,
it
was
estimated
the
Russian
bobsled
and
skeleton
teams
would
have
around
500
training
runs
at
Sanki
track,
while
the
rest
of
the
countries
ranged
between
150
to
200
runs.
This
created
a
huge
advantage
to
the
Russians.
During
the
summer
of
2013,
Ubersense
representatives
implemented
USA
Bobsled/Skeleton’s
recommendations
to
transfer
video
files
remotely
in
a
quick
and
efficient
manner
from
anywhere
on
the
track.
This
process
was
unveiled
at
the
Sochi
International
Training,
where
each
coach
had
an
iPad
with
Ubersense
software
and
a
Russian
SIM
card.
Once
the
coach
captured
the
video,
they
would
tag
it
with
the
athletes
name,
the
curve
of
the
track
and
note
start
and
down
times
in
the
notes
section
of
Ubersense.
The
video
clip
was
then
pushed
to
the
Head
Coach
that
took
less
than
10
seconds
to
transfer.
Coach
Shimer
with
Nick
Cunningham
reviewing
video
in
between
training
runs
at
the
track
Coach
Shimer
reviewing
video
at
the
2014
Sochi
Olympic
Games
This
process
was
featured
in
the
USA
Today
and
Reuters:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/sochi/2014/02/20/us-­‐bobsled-­‐team-­‐steve-­‐
holcomb-­‐ipad-­‐app/5606139/
http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/02/17/apps-­‐olympics-­‐idINDEEA1G0C020140217
At
the
2014
Sochi
Olympic
Games,
USA
Bobsled/Skeleton
won
six
(6)
Olympic
medals
that
included
breaking
a
62-­‐year
medal
drought
in
2-­‐man
bobsled
and
a
silver
and
bronze
medal
in
women’s
bobsled.
The
remote
video
system
implemented
played
a
direct
role
in
helping
the
athletes
and
coaches
better
understand
the
track
and
contributed
to
the
medals
won.

3. Taekwondo
(2005-­‐2008)
–
In
Taekwondo,
having
solid
kicking
skills
and
techniques
is
at
the
core
of
an
athlete’s
success
on
the
mat.
In
early
2005,
the
Dartfish
Video
Analysis
system
was
introduced
to
the
USA
Taekwondo
National
Team,
where
the
coaching
staff
was
able
to
assess
an
athlete’s
technique
and
immediately
correct
them
in
training.
Coach
Moreno
explains
how
video
is
being
used
in
training
Coach
Moreno
analyzes
the
athlete’s
kicking
technique
with
the
athlete
and
her
coach
The
Dartfish
system
was
expanded
to
include
a
scouting
system
that
consisted
of
pre-­‐
competition
and
in-­‐competition
scouting
processes
that
were
supported
by
match
video
clips.
A
video
library
was
created
that
categorized
athletes
by
country,
weight
divisions
and
competitions
so
as
US
athletes
and
coaches
prepared
for
competition,
they
had
insights
as
to
their
future
opponents.

4. Modern
Pentathlon
(2007-­‐2008)
–
Modern
Pentathlon
is
a
complex
sport
with
five
disciplines
(shooting,
fencing,
swimming,
equestrian
show
jumping
&
running).
The
discipline
identified
where
video
review
analysis
could
be
applied
was
equestrian
show
jumping.
During
the
2007-­‐2008
World
Cup
season,
each
of
the
“Jury
Rides”
was
videotaped
with
the
Dartfish
Video
Software,
where
each
horse
was
tagged
with
a
scouting
report
that
included
the
riding
style.
When
the
USA
athlete
drew
their
horse,
that
horse’s
scouting
report
and
video
were
pulled
up
and
reviewed
by
the
athlete
and
coach.
While
the
USA
did
not
medal
at
the
2008
Beijing
Olympic
Games
in
Modern
Pentathlon,
each
athlete
had
perfect
to
clean
rides,
which
made
the
USA
one
of
few
countries
to
accomplish
this.
In
each
case,
these
initiatives
did
not
exist
until
I
worked
with
the
respective
head
coaches
and
analyzed
methods
from
which
video
could
add
an
incremental
advantage.
Once
the
core
principles
were
established,
these
initiatives
were
built
upon
that
allowed
the
teams/athletes
to
perform
at
a
higher
level
than
otherwise
capable.
Scott
Novack
with
the
4-­‐man
Night
Train
crew
at
the
2014
Sochi
Olympic
Games