Title: Does The Weight of a Sprinter Affect Their Speed? School: Wolmer's Boys School Year of Examination: June 2024 Grade: 20/20 This document delves into the multifaceted nature of the captivating sport of sprinting, characterized by short-distance events with athletes building explosive speed. The study attempted to establish a correlation (if any) between a sprinter's weight and its effect on their speed and presents a meticulous investigation conducted by the group in collaboration with external parties. The study found that weight has no direct bearing on a sprinter's speed, leading us to assert that weight does not impair an individual's ability to achieve success in the sport of sprinting. They go beyond traditional assumptions about athlete physiology and shed light on other factors affecting sprinters’ weight and speed.

1. Mathematics School Based Assessment
Does The Weight of a Sprinter Affect Their Speed?
School: Wolmer’s Boys’ School
Year of Examination: June 2024
School Center Number: 100128
Teacher’s Name: Mrs. Loris Anderson
Subject: Mathematics
Territory: Jamaica
Name of Candidates Candidate Numbers
Ethan Dockery 1001280757
Caleb Bryan 1001280358
Zephan Myers 1001282156
Lorenzo Pennicott 1001282261

3. Table of Contents
Project Title …………………………………………………………………….………….… 1
Introduction …………………………………………………………………………....….…. 2
Method of Data Collection ………………………………………………………......….…… 3
Presentation of Data …………………………………………………………………….…. 4-8
Analysis of Data ………… ……………………………………………………………….... 9
Discussion of Findings ...……………………………………………...……………………. 10
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………. 11
Appendices ……………………………………………………………………………… 12-13

4. 1
Does The Weight of a Sprinter Affect Their Speed?

5. 2
Introduction
Short races are what make up sprinting, an athletic event that dates to the ancient
Greece. Today, sprinting is a highly specialized sport with participants dedicating their time to
building explosive speed and quick acceleration. Sprinting contests are supervised and
regulated by the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF).
The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of a sprinter’s weight on speed. The
dependent variable in this case is the speed of a sprinter while his or her weight serves as the
independent variable. The sprinter’s weight can be manipulated to ascertain whether there
exists any relationship between weight and speed. If there is more material carried by a sprinter
their pace should go down, thus affecting mobility.
We were particularly interested in this subject because it focused on actual problems
existing within sprinting. Sprinters, coaches, and sports scientists are constantly looking for
ways to improve training strategies that can enhance race outcomes. This search is motivated
by our wish to provide empirical data useful for training and improving performance.
This study aims to:
1) Investigate the influence of a sprinter’s weight on their speed.
2) Analyse the impact of changing weight on a sprinter’s pace.
3) Assess the correlation between a sprinter’s weight and speed by measuring
speed before and after weight alterations.

6. 3
Method of Data Collection
This project’s information was gathered using an online survey that was
conducted through Google Forms. It had 6 close-ended questions and 1 open-ended
question, which attracted many respondents. This process involved one hundred ten (110)
people.
The WBS Physical Education Department organized a race, with details about
each sprinter being obtained. Increments of 5% and 10% were added to measure how
weight affects speed.
22222222222222222222

7. 4
Presentation of Data
Figure I: Pie Chart of Question 1 Responses (Have you ever been involved in sports?)
Figure II: Pie Chart of Question 2 Responses (Have you ever been a sports team member of
any sort?)
88%
12%
Question 1 Responses
Yes
No
72%
28%
Question 2 Responses
Yes
No

8. 5
Figure III: Pie Chart of Question 3 Responses (How long have you participated in sports?)
Figure IV: Pie Chart of Question 4 Responses (Have you ever competed in any events as a
sports team member?)
18%
2%
14%
10%
56%
Question 3 Responses
N/A
5 months and less
6-12 months
13-18 months
19+ months
68%
32%
Question 4 Responses
Yes
No

9. 6
Figure V: Bar Graph of Question 5 Responses (What sport/s have you participated in?)
Figure VI: Pie Chart of Question 6 Responses (Do you believe there is a correlation between
an athlete’s weight and their speed?)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50 N/A
Badminton
Baseball
Basketball
Cheer
Chess
Cricket
Football
(Soccer)
Football
(American)
Golf
High
Jump
Hockey
Long
Jump
Netball
Rugby
Squash
Swimming
Table
Tennis
Tennis
Track
and
Field
Volleyball
Lacrosse
Dance
Cheer
Water
Polo
Discus
Frequency
(Y-AXIS)
Sports
(X-AXIS)
Question 5 Responses
88%
12%
Question 6 Responses
Yes
No

10. 7
Figure VII: Bar Graph of Question 7 Responses (Provide an explanation for your answer
selection to the question prior.)
Figure VIII: Table showing the characteristics of race participants.
Sprinter Age Height
(cm)
Body
Mass
Index
(BMI)
Body
Mass
(kg)
Muscle
Mass (%)
Physique
A 16 180 22
(normal)
72 38 Average
physique,
emphasis on
muscle training,
B
17 175 27 (high) 88 34
Disproportionate
body mass,
emphasis on
weightlifting.
42%
38%
30%
Physically fit athletes can run faster due to lower
body mass
Heavier mass has increased wind resistance
Larger mass requires more energy
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
Responses
(Y-AXIS)
Frequency (X-AXIS)
Question 7 Responses

11. 8
Figure IX: Table showing Sprinter A’s race performance.
Added Weight
(% of Body Weight) - X
Adjusted Time (seconds) - F XF
0 10.0 0
5 10.75 53.75
10 11.5 115
∑ X = 15 ∑ F = 32.35 ∑ XF = 168.75
Figure X: Table showing Sprinter B’s race performance.
Added Weight
(% of Body Weight) - X
Adjusted Time (seconds) - F XF
0 10.0 0
5 10.6 53.0
10 11.1 111
∑ X = 15 ∑ F = 31.7 ∑ XF = 164
Figure XI: Table comparing Sprinters A and B’s race performance.
Added Weight (%
of Body Weight) - X
Sprinter A’s Time
(seconds)
Sprinter B’s Time
(seconds)
Winner
0 10.0 10.0 N/A
5 10.75 10.6 Sprinter B
10 11.5 11.1 Sprinter B
∑ X = 15 ∑ Time = 32.35 ∑ Time = 31.7 Sprinter B

12. 9
Analysis of Data
According to the data, approximately 88% of respondents enjoy some form of sport,
with 88% even actively participating. Around 75% are members of a sports team. Using the
same figures, 56% have been engaged in it for more than nineteen months. Approximately
68% have taken part in competitions as a team. It appears that most people like football and
track and field since over 70 percent said these were their favorite sports. Each had an
approximate interest percentage of around 20%. These sports include basketball, netball and
swimming.
Figure VI shows that 88 percent of people think that weight is one of the main factors
affecting speed in athletes. Figure VII states that instantaneous velocity comes from physical
fitness (38%), gravity experienced by big bodies (35%) and energy demand due to increased
mass (42%). Two sprinters named A and B are shown in Figures VIII –XI. In Figure XI,
Sprinter B appears to be winning even though they have a higher BMI. It is not always true
that weight determines how fast one can run; this point is supported by Figure XI.

13. 10
Discussion of Findings
Main trends in sports participation, athlete characteristics, and performance factors
have been extracted from the data analysis of Figures I to XI. These are also shown in other
figures such as Figure I which shows that there is an 88% active involvement and Figure II
indicating that 75% of them participate in sports groups. More than half of the participants
(56%) engage in sports for 19+ months (Figure III) and 68% have been team members
competing against other teams (Figure IV).
Football and track and field command over 70%, making them the most preferred
sports (Figure V). Figure VI shows a strong majority belief in a correlation between an
athlete’s weight and speed (88%). Others leading to rapid acceleration include body fitness
(38%), huge gravity (35%) and energy required by larger mass (42%) in Figure VII. In Figure
IX, Sprinter B performs better than Sprinter A as measured by sprint times with increment of
weights added equaling to five or ten percent for each case, which finally leads to victory at
figure number eleven.

14. 11
Conclusion
Figures I to XI show that valuable insights are obtained in line with the project’s
objectives. It is demonstrated in Figure XI that regardless of being bulky, like Sprinter B,
weight has no direct bearing on speed.
It is important to note that this study did not find any correlation between a sprinter’s
weight and their speed. The results of this study confer a great deal of meaning when it comes
to how weight impacts upon one’s ability to run fast. They go beyond traditional assumptions
about athlete physiology and shed light on other factors affecting sprinters’ weight and speed
interactions.

15. 12
Appendices
Appendix A: Data Collection Instrument
Ethan Dockery, Caleb Bryan, Zephan Myers and Lorenzo Pennicott were granted the
opportunity to sit CSEC Math at Grade 9. We kindly ask for your participation as we complete
our School Based Assessment.
Our topic is on “Is an athlete’s speed affected by his weight?” To guide us further this
form contains seven brief questions. To avoid bias, this form was issued to both athletes and non-
athletes. Please click a response and provide a reason when prompted.
To deepen our understanding of this subject all comments will be considered, with
conclusions based on your feedback.
Thank you,
Ethan Dockery
Caleb Bryan
Zephan Myers
Lorenzo Pennicott
Survey Questions
1) Have you ever been involved in sports? (Yes/No)
2) Have you ever been a sports team member of any sort? (Yes/No)
3) How long have you participated in sports? (N/A, 5 mos. and less, 6-12 mos., 13-18 mos.,
19+ mos.)
4) Have you ever competed in any events as a sports team member? (Yes/No)
5) What sport/s have you participated in? (N/A, Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Chess,
Cricket, Dance, Discus, Football - American, Football - Soccer, Golf, High Jump,
Hockey, Lacrosse, Long Jump, Netball, Rugby, Squash, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis,
Volleyball)
6) Do you believe there is a correlation between an athlete’s weight and their speed?
(Yes/No)
7) Provide an explanation for your answer selection to the question prior. (Up to fifty
words).

16. 13
Appendix B: Race Conditions
This section discusses the conditions under which sprint races were conducted to ensure
transparency and clarity in understanding procedures used.
Track Length: 400 meters.
Surface: Standard synthetic track.
Weather: Fair skies.
Footwear: Athletes used standard sprinting spikes appropriate for track competitions. Similar
footwear maintains consistency in conditions.
Warm-up: Athletes followed a standardized warm-up routine supervised by WBS Track
Coaches. This ensured the sprinters were adequately prepared for the race and included
procedures such as light aerobic exercises, stretching, and sprint drills.