The Operational Unit for Applied Sport Sciences is the host for the international congress of the ISPAWISS on April 24 and 25. Under the title "International Symposium on Paralympic Winter Sports and Science" (ISPAWISS) around 50 guests - among others, from Italy, Norway, Spain, Poland and Great Britain - will exchange their ideas on the TUM-Campus in the Olympia Park.
While the "International Congress on Science and Skiing" has been held since 1996, a platform for the field of the Paralympic winter sports has long been lacking. "For this reason, we grounded the ISPAWISS in 2012, in order to establish a forum for networking as well as for the presentation and the exchange of results for those who perform research in this area", explains Dr. Peter Spitzenpfeil, Director of the Operational Unit for Applied Sport Sciences.
Science and practice
The congress addresses scientists as well as such practitioners as trainers, supporting staff and athletes. "We have developed an excellent forum here to allow these groups of individuals to inform themselves on the interface between science and practice and to obtain scientific input", says Spitzenpfeil. The thematic diversity is large. Since a focus was already laid on the alpine disciplines in 2012, the ISPAWISS 2015 now includes the entire Paralympic winter sport. "We have specialists in biomechanics, for example, who demonstrate which types of prostheses are especially suitable for the training of Paralympic skiing athletes - and which are more suitable for other types of training. There are then lectures with a background in the social sciences and also on concrete practical topics", explains Maren Goll. This staff member from the applied sport sciences is also responsible for having organized the congress.
Keynote on the topic of endurance training
In the keynote lecture on the topic of "Endurance training - new insights into old problems", Dr. Markus de Marrées from the German Sport University of Cologne will explain new knowledge obtained in the field of endurance training with nordic skiing athletes.
A practical project which has already proven itself in Switzerland is known as "SkiEasier". Hereby, skiers with impaired vision are enabled to ski on the slopes. For this purpose, they are accompanied by specially trained instructors who give them such wireless instructions as "left", "right" or "ledge" over their earphones and support them while getting onto the lifts and gondolas.
Five gold medals at the Paralympic Games in Sochi
The department of Applied Sport Sciences was able to celebrate tremendous success at the Paralympic Games in Sochi. The most successful athlete supported by Spitzenpfeil and Goll was Anna Schaffelhuber, who obtained five gold medals as the most successful participant at the Games and became the face of the Paralympics in Germany. In the course of a project supported by the Federal Institute for Sport Sciences (BISp), the department of Applied Sport Sciences developed a special training program for Schaffelhuber and the vibration dampener of the 22-year-old monoskier precisely in accordance with her needs.
On the Program of the ISPAWISS Congress
To the ISPAWISS Congress Homepage
To the Homepage for the Operational Unit for Applied Sport Sciences
Contact:
Dr. Peter Spitzenpfeil
Connollystr. 32
80809 Munich
Telephone: 089 289 24562
E-Mail: Peter.Spitzenpfeil(at)tum.de