INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE PROFILES AND STRUCTURE OF COMPETITIVE RESULT OF RECORD-HOLDING FEMALE ATHLETES IN HEPTATHLON

Abstract

Modern approaches to sports activities and the increasing competition at the highest levels of sports achievements create conditions for both versatility and, at the same time, prioritization of individual types of athletics decathlon in the training of female athletes. Purpose: To determine the structure of the overall competitive result in heptathlon among female record-holders of different levels (world, Europe, Ukraine). Methods: Theoretical analysis and generalization of data, analysis of documentary materials – final protocols of heptathlon competitions and official sources of World Athletics, methods of mathematical statistics. Results: In the system of long-term training, female athletes pay significant attention to the development of various abilities at different stages of sports improvement. This contributes to the improvement of results in such types of decathlon as hurdling, high jump, javelin throw and shot put. The scoring system is an important tool for reflecting the high level of athletic skills of the participants. Points not only reflect individual achievements in each discipline but also indicate the overall level of physical fitness, technical skill and psycho-emotional readiness of female athletes. Individual performance profiles and the structure of the competitive result of female record-holders in heptathlon showed that the best of them date back to the last century. The leading athletes are Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) and Carolina Kluft (Sweden) at the world and European record levels and L. Blonska – Ukraine. Conclusions: To set a world record in women’s heptathlon, the leading events were long jump (17%), 100m hurdles (16%), high jump and 200m (15% each); European record – an even contribution of long jump, 100m hurdles and shot put (16% each); Ukrainian record – long jump (17%), 100m hurdles (16%) and shot put (16%).