Speedendurance.com

How to Make Custom Spikes – Christophe Lemaitre Edition

Posted: 04 May 2011 01:00 AM PDT

In all fairness to yesterday's post with Wallace Spearmon and Saucony, here is Christophe Lemaitre and Asics.

This video is from Eurosport, and shows some of the technology they used to make a better spike to produce faster times.

As I stressed in several articles about the reducing ground contact theory, your emphasis really should be changed to maximizing ground contact with greater force production. In this case, it's a more rigid spike plate and to correct his feet as they fall inwards.

For more information on ground contact , see Velocity = Contact Length / Ground Contact Time and Why Usain Bolt Runs So Fast?

You'll have to fast forward to the 1:47 mark of the video where they talk about his spikes.

In a sport where hundredths of a second can separate 1st and 4th (i.e. Gold vs. no medal), any technical (and chemical!) advantage can make the difference!

Christophe Lemaitre received his first prototypes of his new spikes this winter which are set to be more suited to training rather than actual competition.

The final model will be supplied for the upcoming summer season, which he is likely to wear at the World Championships in Daegu if everything goes according to plan.

The original video from UK Eurosport can be found here.