With Amy Williams becoming Britain’s first Gold medallist of the Vancouver Winter Olympics‚ much of the extensive media coverage has highlighted the involvement of two postgraduate engineering students from Southampton.
Rachel Blackburn and James Roche have been working closely with UK Sport for some time to improve understanding of bob skeleton performance.
Rachel and James‚ both Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded Engineering Doctorate (EngD) students‚ have been supported by UK Sport as part of its research and innovation team’s work with British Skeleton. Their research is intended to help improve understanding of bob skeleton performance. This is in the face of fierce international competition where the margin of victory can be less than a heartbeat.
Rachel and James, who are currently in Vancouver, are both graduates in Ship Science at the University. They have been working on this project in the School of Engineering Sciences under the supervision of Dr Stephen Turnock and colleagues in the Performance Sports Engineering Lab.
Rachel Blackburn and James Roche have been supported by UK Sport as part of its research and innovation team’s work with British Skeleton.
Read some of the coverage:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/article7035624.ece
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/feb/22/amy-williams-winter-olympics-skeleton