Vol. 7, Issue 1, Part A (2025)

This study aims to analyze the performance of junior female athletes in the 800-meter event during the Taiwan Middle School Athletic Games from 2022 to 2024, exploring the characteristics of their performance, pacing strategies, and the impact of these strategies on race results. The study utilizes official result reports and publicly available video footage as data sources, comparing the competition data over three years to reveal trends in pacing changes and the influence of energy distribution on performance outcomes. The results show that all athletes generally adopted a "fast-first, slow-second" pacing strategy. This strategy helped secure an early advantage but led to excessive fatigue and a slowdown in the second half of the race, ultimately affecting their results. Only one athlete maintained a more even pacing strategy and was able to sustain a consistent speed, ultimately achieving an outstanding performance. The study found that the slowdown in the second lap was the primary reason for poor results. Additionally, frequent competition schedules posed challenges to athletes' physical endurance and health, with overly tight schedules leading to excessive fatigue and an increased risk of injury. Therefore, the study recommends that future training should focus on athletes' energy management, the rational selection of pacing strategies, strengthening speed endurance, and adjusting competition schedules to avoid overloading, providing a basis for coaches to develop more scientifically grounded training plans.