“We are aware that we have excellent athletes, but our ultimate advantage will come from science”
The Israeli Olympic Committee, the Israel Sailing Federation, and the Technion Institute of Technology are currently collaborating on a one-of-a-kind project to provide scientific data to help Israeli windsurfers earn an Olympic medal in the Paris Olympics in 2024.
“The objective is to put research, innovation and technology at the service of high-level sport. The current project tested on the discipline of windsurfing materializes a real dream. If we manage to replicate the results obtained in other sports, this will be a real breakthrough for world sport, and not just Israeli sport,” said Molly Epstein, scientific director of the Israel Olympic Committee.
To carry out this project, a close collaboration was initiated between the athletes themselves, the coaches and the Technion scientists. “On the board itself are fixed cameras and sensors that measure speed, acceleration, angles as well as wind speed and direction during navigation. All these collected elements are analyzed by software in order to show windsurfers and their coaches the best way to maneuver to achieve greater speed,” says Molly Epstein.
Olympic medalist in windsurfing Shahar Zubri, currently coach of the Israeli women’s team, continues: “Science is now taking more and more place in all sports. In windsurfing as in other sports , the speeds become very high and the slightest movement or change of equipment is very significant.In collaboration with the Technion, we have developed a means of testing the equipment objectively, then cross-checking the results according to the athletes and receiving data that tells us what works and what doesn’t for each of them.”
The Israeli women’s windsurfing team is one of the best in the world. At an international competition held recently in Spain, the first three places were won by Israelis. But only one will win the precious sesame to participate in the next Olympic Games in Paris.
“When we started this collaboration, we said to the Technion: ‘The Paris Olympic Games will take place in the centenary year of your establishment. Let’s win an Olympic medal on this occasion! Everything we develop here is unique. We are aware that we have excellent athletes, but our ultimate advantage will come from science”, rejoices Molly Epstein.
Other projects of the same type will be set up in the discipline of archery. “We noticed that out of 72 arrows that the archery association buys, only 12 actually perform well. So the Technion is building a test system to find out the best type of arrows. That’s how we’ll get an edge in this sport as well,” Molly Epstein concludes.
