This study aimed to characterize the anthropometric, muscle power, and kinematic profiles of visually impaired sprinters (AVI) and their guides (GA) during the 100-meter dash. Three male guide pairs participated, all with national and international experience: Pair 1: AVI (T12); Pair 2: AVI (T11); Pair 3: (T11). Assessments included: (a) anthropometry, (b) lower-limb muscle power via countermovement jump (CMJ), and (c) kinematic analysis during an official 100-meter race using a global positioning system (GPS). GAs generally exhibited greater height, body mass, and longer lower limbs compared to AVIs. Except for Pair 3, GAs demonstrated superior CMJ performance and lower-limb power output. Peak running velocity (PV) was comparable across pairs, but AVI in Pair 1 and 2 achieved PV faster than their GAs. Pair 3 displayed pronounced asymmetries in instantaneous velocity and acceleration between AVI and GA during the race. The synchronization is influenced by experience duration, anthropometric compatibility, and muscle power disparities.
Barbosa et al. (Wed,) studied this question.