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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: 2022.0827 (English Version Powered by ChatGPT, Edited by Serena H.)

Taiwan won a historic 12 medals at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, special thanks goes to the behind-the-scenes support of sports science teams who applied scientific knowledge, advanced techniques, and new technologies to help frontline athletes and coaches adjust their training and strategies.

Government agencies are working closely across sectors to prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics, striving to become the most significant support for athletes.

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) funded National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) to commission National Geographic to produce the program Inside the Science: Sports Science, which shares the behind-the-scenes journey of sports science support. The program premieres across Taiwan at 9:00 PM on August 30 on National Geographic Channel 18.

Inside the Science: Sports Science features six sports—weightlifting, cycling, baseball, archery, table tennis, and badminton—to reveal how technology and data help elite athletes push past their limits and reach new heights, the program also uncovers how injured athletes are assisted to recover.

At a press conference on August 22, key contributors behind the project gathered, including NSTC Minister Wu Cheng-Chung, Industrial Development Bureau Director-General Lü Cheng-Hua, Ministry of Education Counselor Yeh Ting-Peng, NSTC Director Lin Ming-Jen, and NTNU Vice President Sung Yao-Ting.

Chuang Chih-Yuan, Age 41, known as the “Godfather of Taiwanese Table Tennis,” admitted during the interview: “Time is the biggest enemy of an athlete. I often ask myself how much longer my table tennis career can last.” Reflecting on his experience, Chuang said, “Sports science has been a great help in extending athletes’ careers. When I started playing, sports science wasn’t this advanced—I trained diligently, sometimes 9 hours a day just to improve my forehand. Yet, little did it improve, even my backhand got worse than ever. With sports science today, now we can train much more efficiently.”

Professor Wu Sheng-Guang from National Taiwan Sport University shared that his research team is collaborating with the International Table Tennis Federation in the field of para table tennis. Taiwan-developed “smart paddles” can objectively measure each player’s swing speed, acceleration, and trajectory—marking a major breakthrough in sports technology.

Professor Wu noted that the ITTF has officially approved the use of MIT-developed smart paddles for athlete assessment, which will bring more fairness and objectivity to international para table tennis classification.

Director Wang Hsin-Yi shared challenges during filming, especially with cyclist Feng Chun-Kai: “The scariest part was shooting him training on open roads. We were filming from a car trunk and couldn’t control his speed. There were moments where we thought he might crash into us. Fortunately, his skills are excellent, it was really nerve-wracking though.”

Producer Chen Hsi-Wen noted that Taiwan boasts advanced technology and outstanding sports teams. He emphasized that sports science research will continue to evolve, offering new training methods to the world.

Documenting Sports Science with Precision — Showcasing Taiwan’s Research Power

The “Precision Sports Science Research Project” is operated by NTNU’s Center for Sports Research and Development, with Professor Mei-Yen Chen from the Graduate Institute of Sports, Leisure and Hospitality Management as the principal investigator. The project begins with the perspective and needs of athletes, focusing on scientific training, physical recovery, injury prevention, and tactical analysis. It integrates interdisciplinary research from physiology, biomechanics, psychology, medicine, nutrition, information engineering, physical therapy, AI, and data analysis to develop innovative sports science technologies—addressing bottlenecks in training and competition, helping athletes reach their full potential, and optimizing performance.

The program also aims to cultivate interdisciplinary research talent and stimulate growth in the sports industry economy.

Source: Center for Sports Research / Editor: Hu Shih-Tse / Proofreader: Hu Shih-Tse

Program: Inside the Science: Sports Science | Channel: National Geographic CH18

Airtime: Tue 8/30 21:00, Wed 8/31 03:00/10:00, Sat 9/3 10:00, Fri 9/9 17:00