SPRINTERS could get a bigger boost on windy days than athletics authorities
ever imagined. Winds are measured on the straight part of the track, and a head
or tailwind greater than 5 metres per second disqualifies a time from the record
books. Crosswinds are ignored, but because the 200-metre sprint is run around
the corner of the track, this is a mistake, says physicist Jonas Mureika from
the University of Toronto. In a future issue of New Studies in
Athletics, he calculates runners could gain up to 0.6 seconds with a helpful
crosswind—a huge amount in a race that can…
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Man destined for Alzheimer's may have been saved by accidental therapy
2
Woman in cancer remission without treatment in highly unusual case
3
Extinct relative of koalas discovered in Western Australia
4
A lost ancient script reveals how writing as we know it really began
5
We have figured out a new way to send messages into the past
6
Hantavirus: Where has the deadly cruise ship outbreak come from?
7
300-year-old experiment could become world's best dark matter detector
8
Honey has been used as medicine for centuries – does it really work?
9
Is consciousness more fundamental to reality than quantum physics?
10
Exercise helps fight cancer – and we may finally know why
