BAE creates technology for British speed skaters

Military technology boosted performance in this week's short track speed skating world championships

BAE Systems has employed technology normally used to build military aircraft to create new under-boot skate attachments for Great Britain's short track speed skating squad as part of its partnership with UK Sport.

Elise Christie of the GBR team finished fourth in this week's ladies' championship at the International Skating Union World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Montreal, Canada. Richard Shoebridge was placed 19^th overall in the men's competition, while fellow Brit Jack Whelbourne came 29^th out of a field of 48.

BAE Systems experts at Filton, Bristol, said they had used “the latest in computer-aided optimisation and production methods to enhance the attachments' responsiveness and allow the UK's top athletes to push harder and faster”.

The latest phase saw the engineers manufacturing the skates from high-grade aerospace aluminium to further enhance the greater rigidity and control previously offered by titanium brackets, with a two-fold increase in stiffness, while reducing the weight by more than 40%. These changes are said to afford the athletes greater speed, control and acceleration and shave valuable milliseconds off their race times.
Naomi Stenhouse, head of project & performance engineering at the English Institute of Sport, said: “At the pinnacle of high performance sport, competitors are constantly looking for that split second advantage over their opponents. Being able to use the skills of BAE Systems' engineers to analyse and improve our equipment ahead of the major competitions in 2014 means that the team will be going in with the best possible chance of success.”

BAE Systems engineers are continuing to work with UK Sport, and its science, medicine and technology arm, the English Institute of Sport, as its official research and innovation partner – helping to support British sports and athletes ahead of major competitions including the forthcoming 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

Previous examples of work from the partnership include applying wind tunnel technology to help improve the racing speed of the GB bobsleigh team through aerodynamics, as well as refining the scoring techniques of the GB Taekwondo team in the build-up to London 2012, where their athletes won a gold and a bronze medal.