Cross-country researcher Hans-Christer Holmberg from Mid Sweden University in Östersund leads the research team gathered in Meråker.
In the border community to Sweden, they will spend the next few days investigating herringbone technique according to the Trondheim newspaper.
“There was research on the diagonal stride in the 70’s and 80’s, but herringbone has never been examined. In addition we will look at diagonal stride, downhill technique and swing technique. We will also look at how athletes transition into the hills.
“Today we have much more advanced technology, so we can look at things that they couldn’t 20 years ago. Among other things, we can analyze how narrow and broad athletes herringbone, the power curves of the participants in both arms and legs, and even if they use more power in the right arm or leg than the left,” said Holmberg to the paper.
The Swede is aware that he has a good ally on the Norwegian side of the border.
“We work closely with Øyvind Sandbakk and NTNU in Trondheim, but in Meråker we also have Barbara Pellegrini from Trento, Italy, and there are researchers from Salzburg in Austria and from Ljubljana in Slovenia for this project. At the same time, it is ideal to have research in Meråker, where there are many good athletes,” he said.
Both future and past stars, including Marthe Kristoffersen and Frode Estil, are among the athletes that will be under scrutiny during the course of the study, and Holmberg has great expectations for the project.
“We know that skiers Fred Berry and Odd-Bjorn Hjelmeset have good herringbone technique. The same with Emil Jönsson, often running up hills, as did Estil. Each of these skiers have a narrow herringbone technique, and the way up is shorter than if the skis are angled more outward. At the same time the performers have a technique and strength to use a straighter V, and there are many factors that come into play. We believe that we can get answers here,” concluded Holmberg.
Source: Langrenn.com
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/02/IMG_2313.jpg" "Andy Newell (3rd) follows Emil Joensson (SWE) across the line. Newell was elminated in this quarterfinal.")
