Ms Thompson, who is a senior physiotherapist for High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ), is also completing a PhD in kinematics and kinetics – motion and force – within track sprint cyclists.
Ms Thompson will be in Paris with Cycling New Zealand (CNZ) and says she’s looking forward to utilising the holistic perspective she’s developed in her studies.
I’m learning to look at the experience more holistically through my research, which has enhanced my ability to communicate with the cycling and strength and conditioning coaches and physiologists. In an elite environment, you collaborate with the multi-disciplinary team very closely in the gym, clinic and trackside.
The research is a joint project supported by HPSNZ and CNZ and Ms Thompson says her work on measuring the correlation between force production and 3D motion capture on the bike has exposed her to a range of specialists and enhanced her understanding of performance, which will be a great asset when supporting the recovery of the cycling team.
Ms Thompson is using advanced motion capture technology for her research. This includes using an inertial measurement unit (IMU), which is a sensor that provides motion data like velocity and acceleration in a time-series format, and optical 3D motion cameras, to capture 3D footage of elite athletes on their track bikes. She has looked at maximum isometric benchmark tests in the gym for elite sprint track cyclists, where athletes must contract and hold muscle without moving for a period. She is then testing for correlations between that data and force production and biomechanics on their bike. A special interest is also looking at the hip and lower back structure, function and motion.
It was the research of University of Waikato Associate Professor Kim Hebert-Losier, whose work in 3D biomechanics encouraged Ms Thompson to study at Waikato.
"There is little research in elite level athletes, and the University’s connections with the velodrome and Rowing New Zealand in Cambridge, and the Adams Centre for High Performance in Tauranga, is what attracted me to complete my PhD here. To study elite athletes, you need to be able to go to them and not interfere with their training, and that’s something we have access to at Waikato."
Paris will be Ms Thompson’s fifth Olympics working as a physiotherapist, having previously supported Great Britain’s Track and Field Team, Triathlon New Zealand and CNZ.
Ms Thompson with the Paris 2024 Olympic torch
Ms. Thompson will join the NZ Cycling team in Switzerland for a pre-Olympic preparation camp to support the athletes with therapy and recovery, before heading to Paris for the games.
“I’m looking forward to it. We call ourselves a cycling whānau - it’s a great culture, focused on being positive whether there’s success or not. The Olympics is the pinnacle of sport and I feel very privileged to spend it with them.”
