Using 3D-tracking data, we can identify the optimal racing line for top male athletes on the famous S-curved segment (Brueggli-S) of the downhill FIS world cup track "Lauberhorn" in Switzerland. For this, we have measured and analyzed training runs, measured on a single day, of 10 world-class athletes. Based on curvatures derived from the noise-reduced 3D-tracking data, a large variation in racing lines adopted by the athletes was observed. Each of the detected racing lines share a similar pattern: The maximum curvature in the first curve was strongly negatively correlated with the maximum curvature of the second curve. We have found that, for the investigated athletes, the overall best racing line was characterized by a defined ratio of the maximum curvature of the first to the second curve. We claim that the observed negative correlation, as well as the optimal ratio of curvatures, is universal for a class of athletes with nearly identical performance levels. If and how this ratio varies for different classes of athletes (i.e. U10, U12 or U16 athletes) is an as yet unanswered question and remains open to further investigation.
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