The science behind sporting performance: Ghent University’s best expertise in the second season of ’Wereldrecord’ on Canvas

Mail-bijlage.jpeg - Why are Ghent University researchers studying the motor skills of sports journalist Maarten Vangramberen? Much has to do with the matter of how world records are made. Exceptional performance that no-one can explain. Or can they? As from Monday, Canvas will launch the second season of 'Wereldrecord' (World Record), during which Maarten Vangramberen joins other researchers from Ghent University in searching for scientific explanations for top performance. For example, Wayde Van Niekerk, who managed to break a 17-year world record during the 400m final at the Olympic Games in Rio. One year previously, at the World Championships in Peking, he was carried off on a stretcher after the final. The reason? Acidification. Quite common for this distance apparently.