Metrology in the World of Sport Seton Bennett

Metrology in the World of Sport Seton Bennett NPL, UK

Citior, altior, fortior. . . accuratior? The metrology ofin sport Metrology the World of Sport Seton Bennett NPL, UK Seton Bennett Deputy Director, NPL

9/25/2020 3

Measurement is important in all sports: Track and field athletics • • Golf Time Distance Mass Wind speed • Distance • Mass Swimming • Distance • Time Team ball sports • Time • Distance • Pressure Boxing 9/25/2020 • Time • Mass Horse racing • Distance • Mass Motor racing • • • Speed Distance Mass Material properties Time Weight lifting • Mass 4

Measurement is important in all sports … 9/25/2020 … except synchronised swimming! 5

9/25/2020 6 Accurate timing is key to many Olympic events, with hundredths of a second often being all that separates winners from losers. What is more challenging in the Olympics is determining exactly when a runner’s torso reaches a point exactly over the finish line. 6 It takes a few hundredths of a second for the sound of a starting pistol to travel along a row of runners, so those closer to the gun used to hear it first. Now, loudspeakers behind each runner relay the sound simultaneously. 6 Most modern clocks, including those used at the Olympics, are based on quartz oscillators. The accuracy of these is compared ultimately with that of an atomic clock. 6

9/25/2020 Athletes have accelerated over the last century: this graph shows the progressively lower times taken to run the men’s 100 metres. 7

9/25/2020 How long was that? Roger Bannister runs the first 4 -minute mile in 3 m 59. 2 s on 6 May 1954 The photo finish of the men's 100 m final at the 2004 Olympics shows Justin Gatlin's 0. 01 second winning margin over Francis Obikwelu 8

9/25/2020 &The Olympics held at the highest elevation were those at Mexico City, 1968, held at 2300 metres above sea level. At that altitude, atmospheric pressure is about 25% less than at sea-level, and athletes from lower-lying countries suffered from the lack of oxygen. &Standardising the pressure in footballs and volleyballs ensures they behave as the players expect. The normal atmospheric pressure at sea level is about 100 thousand pascals, and the pressure inside an Olympic football is 180 thousand pascals. In practice, quite a wide margin is permitted on the pressures of balls used in the Olympics because the pressure of air depends on its temperature. 9

9/25/2020 From the 50 metre swimming events to the 42, 195 metres of a marathon, exact distances are part of many Olympic events. Rods and rulers are often used to mark out distances – but they need careful design. Because of thermal expansion, it is essential to choose a material that expands very little with temperature. An Olympic swimming pool must be 50 metres long with a tolerance of +0. 03 metres and -0. 00 metres. (This means that the pool can be up to 3 centimetres longer than 50 metres but not even a millimetre shorter. ) A qualified surveyor must certify that all measurements are within the regulations. It is not only event distances that have to be measured, many other dimensional measurements may separate losers from winners: the dimensions of pitches and playing areas; the diameter of shot put and hammer throwing circles; the size of boxing rings; the areas of sails. 10

International sail regulations 9/25/2020 11

9/25/2020 Track athletics – world records Event 100 metres World Record 9. 69 s 200 metres Resolution Fraction 0. 01 s 1. 0 x 10 -3 Distance Resolution 10 cm 19. 30 s 0. 01 s 5. 2 x 10 -4 10 cm 400 metres 43. 18 s 0. 01 s 2. 3 x 10 -4 9 cm 800 metres 1 m 41. 11 s 0. 01 s 9. 8 x 10 -5 8 cm (4 cm) 1500 metres 3 m 26. 00 s 0. 01 s 4. 9 x 10 -5 7 cm (2 cm) 5000 metres 12 m 37. 35 s 0. 01 s 1. 3 x 10 -5 7 cm (6 mm) 10000 metres 26 m 17. 53 s 0. 01 s 6. 3 x 10 -6 6 cm (2. 5 mm) Marathon 2 h 04 m 26 s 1 s 1. 3 x 10 -4 5. 7 m 12

9/25/2020 Track athletics – world records Event 100 metres World Record 9. 69 s 200 metres Resolution Fraction 0. 01 s 1. 0 x 10 -3 Distance Resolution 10 cm 19. 30 s 0. 01 s 5. 2 x 10 -4 10 cm 400 metres 43. 18 s 0. 01 s 2. 3 x 10 -4 9 cm 800 metres 1 m 41. 11 s 0. 01 s 9. 8 x 10 -5 8 cm (4 cm) 1500 metres 3 m 26. 00 s 0. 01 s 4. 9 x 10 -5 7 cm (2 cm) 5000 metres 12 m 37. 35 s 0. 01 s 1. 3 x 10 -5 7 cm (6 mm) 10000 metres 26 m 17. 53 s 0. 01 s 6. 3 x 10 -6 6 cm (2. 5 mm) Marathon 2 h 04 m 26 s 1 s 1. 3 x 10 -4 5. 7 m 13

9/25/2020 Mass is a part of almost every Olympic sport. Not only is the mass of practically every item of equipment specified, in some events athletes are sorted into groups according to their mass. Male weightlifters are divided into 8 classes according to their body mass. Olympic weightlifting rules require weighing machines to be accurate to 0. 005 %. Their performance is evaluated by weighing standard weights, to check that they weigh accurately. In many sports, if an item of equipment is a few grams heavier or lighter than specified, the athlete could be disqualified, so accurate weighing machines are essential. Take the shot putt, for instance 14

9/25/2020 Does it matter how heavy the shot is? Assume 7 kg shot leaves hand at 14 m/s at angle of 45º. Imposed momentum is 98 kg. m/s For vertical motion, s = uvt + ½gt 2 s = -2 m, u = 10 m/s, g = -9. 81 m/s 2 t ~ 2. 2 s For horizontal motion, s = uh. t ~ 10 x 2. 2 = 22 m 2 m 45º If the shot is 7 g (1 in 103) light and receives the same momentum, initial velocity will be 1 x 10 -3 higher and shot will travel 2 cm further. Yes it does …… 15

9/25/2020 Saturday 26 April 2003 For want of a set of scales, the record was lost Student Sultana Frizell put the shot 50 centimetres further than had ever been achieved by a Canadian student, but she was denied the national high school record because there were no scales available to certify the weight of the shot. The applause which followed the announcement of her throw (14. 84 metres) quickly turned to sighs when it was realised that the record could not be sanctioned. “You just deal with it, ” she said. 16

9/25/2020 … but the most difficult and demanding measurements are made far from the track … … in testing laboratories … 17

9/25/2020 Formula 1 racing is not only a top sport, it’s also big business The 2008 FIA Regulations extend to 60 pages and include specifications for bodywork and dimensions, weight, electrical systems, impact, structure and static load testing and fuel For example, article 15. 1. 2 of the Regulations outlaws composite suspension materials with a specific modulus greater than 40 gigapascals per gram per cc Teams faced disqualification because materials that appeared acceptable when tested in their own laboratories were exceeding the 40 GPa limit when tested independently NPL was asked by the FIA to develop a set of standard tests and was appointed to act as arbiter in any disputes, thus ensuring a level playing field F 1 teams and material suppliers now have confidence in the quality of the test data A single, well-defined test method has reduced the uncertainty in the measurements Accurate measurement has supported material development, enabling the fine tuning of material compositions to obtain maximum performance benefits 18

The measurement issue which impacts all sports and fills the sports pages in newspapers is … 9/25/2020 ? 19

Athletes use drugs to: 9/25/2020 Build mass and strength of muscles and/or bones Increase delivery of oxygen to exercising tissues Mask pain Stimulate the body Relax Reduce weight Hide use of other drugs The WADA Prohibited List (January 2008) includes more than 200 specific banned substances 20

Drugs in sport 9/25/2020 In 2004, 36% (1191/3305) of reported adverse findings from WADA-accredited sports drug testing laboratories were for anabolic agents CCQM-P 68: 2. 15 ng/g solution of norandrosterone in urine 4 laboratories (NMIA, NIST, LGC and GL of HKSAR) all within 2. 6% of weighted mean Highlights the level of international equivalence which is achievable when validated methods are developed 21

Working together against drugs in sport 9/25/2020 World Anti-Doping Code – March 2003 WADA International Standards: International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (January 2005) (January 2009) International Standard for Testing (June 2003) (January 2009) International Standard for Laboratories (August 2004) (January 2008) WADA/ILAC Mo. U – November 2007 Every UK athlete at the Beijing Olympics will have been tested at least once 22

WADA International Standard for Laboratories 9/25/2020 During the probationary phase of WADA accreditation, a laboratory must successfully: – obtain ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 accreditation from an ILAC member accreditation body; – participate in the WADA proficiency testing program; – plan and implement research activities; – plan and implement sharing of knowledge; – obtain professional liability insurance cover. 23

Metrology in sport: 9/25/2020 is essential; is virtually universal; is internationally important; ensures equality and fairness; measures performance reliably; guarantees conformity with regulations; enables the development of new equipment and techniques; produces champions. 24

Metrology in the altior, of Sport World Citior, fortior Seton Bennett. . . NPL, UK accuratior?

Metrology in the World of Sport Seton Bennett NPL, UK