INTRODUCTION: Regardless of age, alpine ski racers must have a high level of physical fitness. It is critical to performance and injury prevention and must be trained and tested (Müller et al., 2000). This is an overview of physical testing of junior and elite Austrian alpine ski racers over the last 30 years. METHODS: In the early 1990s, the test battery for Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) athletes included isometric leg and trunk strength tests, CMJ, DJ and a jump coordination test. In 1996, performance diagnostics with Skigymnasium Stams commenced (Raschner et al., 2012). The aforementioned tests were carried out with all junior ski racers, supplemented by a strength endurance and an endurance test. At the turn of the millennium, strength diagnostics were adapted, and thereafter the ÖSV athletes performed isokinetic leg and trunk strength tests, as well as two balance tests and a strength endurance test. The test battery of the junior ski racers remained unchanged, with the exception of additional balance tests. In 2021, a 1RM squat, an eccentric bilateral hamstring test and several vision tests were added for ÖSV athletes. All athlete groups also undergo cycle spiroergometry at Institute for Sports Medicine, Alpine Medicine and Health Tourism. RESULTS: In Austria, the longitudinal fitness test battery for junior athletes generates a useful database with age and gender-specific norm data to support coaches in the talent development process. The maximum strength tests performed on junior and elite athletes provide important infor mation about bilateral deficits or inadequate trunk strength ratios. Injured ÖSV athletes must complete the previously described test battery ("back to race" testing) before they start skiing. In some cases, athletes are not given the okay to ski and must continue with rehab and conditioning. The recently added eye examinations are informative and occasionally lead to further ophthalmological examinations. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: The increasing competitiveness in junior and elite ski racing requires efficient and effective management of the training process (Gilgien et al., 2018). Testing and analysis of individual fitness are essential to monitor training and predict performance. Regular testing also assists in injury prevention and overtraining by tracking training adaptions. In order to study the development of young athletes and to generate reference data, we need to examine longitudinal assessments rather than cross-sectional studies. The complexity of ski racing, coupled with the dissimilar individual physical maturation processes, challenges coaches and sport scientists when evaluating and training ski racers. REFERENCES: Müller, E. et al., 2000. Med Sci Sports Exerc Raschner, C. et al., 2012. Br J Sports Med Gilgien, M. et al., 2018. Front Physiol
© Copyright 2023 9th International Congress on Science and Skiing, March 18 - 22, 2023, Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria. Veröffentlicht von University of Salzburg. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.