Uncovering the Truth: Enhancing Safety in Gymnastics
How Weller Spring Floor Will Revolutionize Gymnastics Safety and Performance
Kuksenkov's Routine at Valeri Liukin Invitational
Watch Nikolai Kuksenkov's full routine at the 2009 Valeri Liukin Invitational, performed on Weller Spring Floor. Thirteen countries participated in this prestigious event. Nikolai won Floor, High Bar, and All-Around Champion titles. This video also features appearances by Valeri Liukin and Yevgeny Marchenko standing behind the scoring table, as well as Nastia Liukin and her mother, Anna Kotchneva, adding a personal touch to the narrative of gymnastics excellence and safety innovations. When I asked Nikolai his thoughts on the floor, he replied, "It feels like a trampoline!" («Это как батут!»).
As we approach the Olympic Trials and the Paris Olympics, gymnastics safety is more critical than ever. This post provides a comprehensive overview of key issues, innovations, and industry resistance related to gymnastics safety, shedding light on the urgent need for change.
The journey towards improving gymnastics safety began at USAG National Congress in 2007, where I met Dr. Sands, who was presenting preliminary results of his “Behavior of the Spring Floor on Backward Tumbling Take Offs” analysis of why gymnasts bend their knees twice. This encounter sparked a relentless pursuit to address the safety issues plaguing the sport. Driven by a passion for innovation and athlete safety, I delved into spring technology. Due to the financial crisis closing auto suppliers, I was able to access proprietary software and engineers at a valve plant near Detroit. While they were closed, I was allowed to develop our Weller Spring Floor. This breakthrough technology manipulates the diameter of the coils and the pitch (space between them) to provide a softer initial deflection, significantly reducing impact forces on athletes.
WELLER CUSHIONING EFFECT - THREE STAGE DEFLECTION
STAGE 1: Wider Coils Deflect With Half the Load Required to Deflect Cylindrical.
This gives lighter athletes comparable bounce and reduces peak impact force. Engineering deformation graph of Weller is a concave double line indicating it comes up slower and responds to lower loads, while cylindrical is a straight line.
STAGE 2: Wider Coils Collapse on Each Other and Remaining Coils Take Over.
This provides cushioning and then the spring rate of remaining coils spikes to match loading of cylindrical at full deflection.
STAGE 3: At Full Deflection Coils Don’t Go Solid
The loading at full deflection matches the cylindrical so athletes have full power with significantly less impulse and impact force. It’s EASIER ON THE ATHLETE™.
Weller Spring Floor is designed to enhance safety and performance by reducing the load required for initial deflection and maintaining the necessary support at full deflection. This innovative approach prevents the springs from going solid, a critical safety feature. Scientific studies and expert reviews validate the efficacy of Weller Spring Floor. Todd Reindors, AAI Engineering Manager, confirmed the technology’s success during tests in 2008. In 2012, USAG’s Board asked to see the data Sands collected on Weller safety and performance and I sent it. Disney Entertainment Safety Teams in Orlando and Shanghai Disney Resort also reviewed and approved the technology both prior to and during its installation. In 2020, FIG's Apparatus Expert reviewed and verified the same Sands data yet they did not update their standards or bring their exclusive supplier, ABEO, to the table.
Gymnastics Injury Epidemic: A Call for Safer Equipment
The latest injury updates from College Gym News paint a concerning picture of the current state of gymnastics safety. Numerous athletes across various college teams have suffered severe injuries, including torn ACLs, Achilles ruptures, and other debilitating conditions. This alarming trend underscores the urgent need for innovation in gymnastics equipment to better protect athletes.
Updated Injury Highlights:
Alabama: Makarri Doggette - Torn left Achilles
Arizona: Sophia Maisel - Torn left Achilles
Auburn: Caroline Leonard - Torn Achilles
Florida (committed): Skye Blakely - Torn Achilles (at Olympic Trials)
Oregon State: Sydney Gonzales - Torn right Achilles
LSU: Konnor McClain - Torn left Achilles (at USAG Core Classic)
Kayla DiCello: Torn Achilles (at Olympic Trials)
Shilese Jones: Injured knee (at Olympic Trials)
King Bars Sports’ advanced technology offers a promising solution to reduce the incidence of these severe injuries. Providing proper tuning, and enhancing shock absorption, energy dissipation, and overall stability, King Bars Sports’ technology provides a safer training environment for gymnasts.
The NCAA is well aware of our technology. In 2012, then Head Coach at UCLA, Miss Val, and Assistant Coach Chris Waller, ordered two Weller Floors after experiencing four Achilles injuries among their athletes in just three seasons. They passionately promoted Weller at every opportunity, advocating for change and inspiring other NCAA teams to consider alternatives to the status quo.
However, our efforts faced resistance when AAI intervened to maintain their monopoly on the market.
Key Findings from Our Research
Superior Shock Absorption: Weller Spring Floor demonstrates a slightly lower dominant frequency (~8 Hz) compared to traditional cylindrical springs and foam blocks (~9 Hz), indicating better shock absorption capabilities.
Enhanced Energy Transfer: In terms of impulse, which measures the total force over time, Weller showed lower values. This means Weller provides better energy dissipation, crucial for both performance and injury prevention.
Superior Rate of Force Development: Weller Spring Floor produces a higher rate of force development on the downward motion and a lower rate of force development on the upward motion. This translates to safer landings, more power on takeoff, greater control over movements, and more time in the air.
Spring Floor Safety and Performance Metrics
Injuries such as strains, sprains, and impact injuries are prevalent in gymnastics. Although no official data compares injury rates before and after implementing Weller Spring Floor due to industry resistance, the potential for prevention is significant. Jon Horton, USA Olympian, and other athletes have praised the technology for its positive impact on performance and reduced injury risk. Major industry players like American Athletic, Inc. (AAI) and ABEO have resisted adopting Weller Spring Floor. Despite initial excitement from Ron Galimore and my promising interactions with AAI, resistance emerged, potentially driven by existing industry dynamics and reluctance to change established practices. AAI’s letter “TO WHOM IT MAY Concern” (sic), denying improvements in safety and performance, exemplifies this resistance.
Insider Insights
John Deary, AAI's Top Dealer
"Injury caused by the floor and such is a problem for the lawyers. Their take is muscle overuse and poor training or poor landings are the cause of injury."
Specific interactions highlight this resistance. Valeri Liukin backing out of his endorsement due to AAI’s pressure. Whitey Anson, Western Region Manager for AAI, once said on a phone call that “We’re just a pimple on an elephant,” referring to AAI owned by Spalding, managed by FOTL, and Berkshire Hathaway above them all. John Deary, AAI’s top dealer, made a telling comment about the floor contributing to injuries being a problem for the lawyers. USAG and AAI interrupting Sands’ presentation of Weller safety and performance at the 2012 Olympic Trials in front of a standing-room crowd. That same year, AAI intervened to prevent UCLA and the rest of the NCAA from adopting Weller Spring Floor. These interactions underscore the industry's reluctance to adopt new safety measures.
My interactions with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) began in 2015, with a detailed report submitted in 2023. Despite clear evidence, the CPSC denied requests for information on their investigation, highlighting regulatory gaps. Addressing these gaps requires removing executive interference and empowering engineers to decide on the safest apparatus. Numerous athletes have suffered injuries due to traditional equipment, with over 50 Achilles ruptures annually in the NCAA alone. Notable endorsements from Nellie Kim and Olympians like Jon Horton and Justin Spring underscore the benefits of Weller Spring Floor. Despite this, industry pressure has stifled broader adoption, as evidenced by Valeri Liukin’s forced retraction of his endorsement.
Nellie Kim, VP, International Gymnastics Federation (FIG)
“The future development of gymnastics is a complex and complicated process. Part of it involves new technique for elements and creation of new skills. But human abilities are limited, and therefore, we need new, modern gymnastics apparatus, which would help gymnasts perform new skills and at the same time provide safety.”
Nellie Kim endorses our technology, and she presented it to other equipment makers at FIG meetings. However, they declined to sign our confidentiality and non-use agreement in 2012. Finally, ABEO’s Managing Director, Jacques Janssen, signed it in 2017. Valeri Liukin was an early adopter in his gym and Invitational, but AAI forced him to retract his endorsement or they would pull their support at his Invite.
Why Gymnasts LOVE Weller Spring Floor
Most Frequently Asked Question
Q: Is it difficult for gymnasts to train on Weller Floor and compete on other floors?
A: Gymnasts LOVE training on Weller Floor because the forgiving nature of the floor allows more training with fewer injuries. Legs, knees, ankles, and Achilles feel better so having fresh legs is a competitive advantage. The loading is identical to other floors so it’s just not an issue, otherwise.
Understanding Floor Synchronization and Its Impact on Performance
Biomechanists believe the spring component of the floor exercise apparatus is a major contributor to Achilles tendon and other injuries because it simultaneously increases forces being absorbed by the lower extremities and decreases the stability of the floor. There is a problem with apparatus design that has its genesis in a lack of understanding of the nature of impact, vibration, and energy return of the apparatus. Also, the fundamental frequency of current floors is about 2x the fundamental frequency of a take-off. After a few tumbling passes the floor sets up a wave pattern. When the gymnasts punch off for a big skill, the floor frequently is moving down and away from them as if they are hitting a “hole” in the floor (many report they feel this) and then as they land the floor “wave pattern” is moving back up at them. This lack of synchronization not only compromises the athlete's performance but also increases the likelihood of injury.
Weller Spring Floor’s design is a closer matched response, REDUCING peak impact force & the intensity and duration of vibrations; IMPROVING SAFETY AND PERFORMANCE.
The Hidden Flaw in Gymnastics Floors
Bill Sands, PhD, spent decades studying spring floors and discovered that gymnasts unintentionally bend their knees twice during takeoff due to floor recoil. His high-speed footage analysis revealed improper floor tuning, resulting in a rattling motion that compromises performance and safety. Akin to diving with a board that’s out of tune, this inefficiency causes extra motion, strains the legs, and increases injury risk, such as Achilles tendon ruptures.
The basic idea is that studies show that the spring floor "bottoms out" and this results in a rebound frequency of existing spring floors that is about twice as fast as the gymnast's take off. This results in the knees bending twice or a "rattle" in the floor.
With a standing-room-only crowd waiting to see Sands’ PowerPoint on Weller Floor safety and performance at the Olympic Trials in 2012, he was stopped by USAG and AAI. In the published research this data was omitted, stating, “safety and performance remain possibilities for Weller.” He was subsequently removed from his USOPC position. (Read more: Reimagine USA Gymnastics)
William A. Sands, PhD, Head of Sport Biomechanics and Engineering, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC)
“Sadly, we believe that the floor and vault board are major contributors to Achilles tendon and other injuries. In my view, there is a problem with apparatus design that has its genesis in a lack of understanding of the nature of impact, vibration, and energy return of the apparatus.”
🌟 Fine-Tuned for Gymnasts: The Weller Advantage! 🤸♀️✨
Ever wondered about the perfect "tuning" for gymnastics? Look no further! Weller Spring Floor goes beyond the ordinary, providing a precisely tuned experience for every athlete.
🎵 The Art of Tuning:
Adjustable Support: No more one-size-fits-all. The Weller system adapts to the weight and movement of each gymnast, ensuring optimal support. All sizes/weight get comparable bounce!
Reduced Vibrations: Our patented technology reduces vibrations with smoother acceleration, allowing for a smoother and more controlled performance.
Balanced Rebounding: Say goodbye to wild bounces! Weller Spring Floor's tuned response enhances timing and reduces the risk of injury.
🔍 The Weller Difference:
✅ Proper Tuning: Each element - force, impulse, vibration - is tuned for an athlete-centric experience.
✅ Easier on Athletes: With a closer-matched response, Weller Spring Floor is designed to be EASIER ON THE ATHLETE™.
🌐 Learn More: Discover the science behind proper "tuning" at Weller Spring Floor.
Scott M. Weller, Founder and Inventor, King Bars Sports, LLC
“Nothing is more important than the safety of athletes. As a company, we are committed to advancing the technology of gymnastics equipment to make the sport safer and more enjoyable for all. We are proud to introduce our latest innovation, variable pitch engineering, and are excited to work with industry leaders to prioritize the safety of gymnasts around the world.”
With the Olympic Trials and Paris Olympics approaching, the urgency to address these safety concerns has never been greater. Gymnastics is at the height of its popularity, and public awareness can pressure USAG and FIG to adopt safer technologies. As the spotlight shines on gymnastics during the upcoming Olympic events, it is crucial to advocate for the adoption of safer technologies like Weller Spring Floor. The stories and data presented here underscore the need for immediate action to protect our athletes.
Call to Action:
Your support and awareness can help push for the adoption of safer technologies in gymnastics. Together, we can make a difference!
Further Reading:
Reimagine USA Gymnastics: Prioritizing Safety and Innovation
Welcome to Our Mission: Enhancing Gymnastics Safety with Innovation
Unlocking Gymnastics Performance: The Power of Weller’s Innovative Design
The Genesis of Spring Floor Tuning: Innovations in Sport and Entertainment
Addressing the Injury Epidemic: Advocating for Safer Gymnastics Equipment
Disrupting the Gymnastics Cartel: Weller Floor Offers Enhanced Safety and Performance
Check back on the website version of this post for updates and additional content.
US Patent No.: US 7,993,244 B2 and US Patent No.: US 8,337,368 B2
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