Collaboration between academia and industry could give Irish sprinters an edge at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles

Elite Irish sprinters participating in a study at Lero, one of the world’s leading software research centres at the University of Limerick, to determine the effectiveness of super spike sprint shoes, could boost their chances of success at the 2028 Olympics.

Lero researchers at the University of Limerick’s Sport and Human Performance Research Centre (SHPRC) have embarked on the research in collaboration with innovative Irish sports analytics company DANU are still recruiting elite Irish athletes to use DANU’s groundbreaking wearable smart socks technology to capture and analyse athlete-specific data, focusing on the biomechanical assessment of super spike shoes.

Professor Ian Kenny questioned whether athletes at the 2024 Olympics choose super spikes due to sponsorship deals or for their technological benefits and injury prevention.

“Using real-world metrics on the track and not the lab, we will gain key insights into the benefits of DANU’s technology, super spikes, and their impact on our elite sprinters – gaining a fraction of a second could give an Irish athlete a podium finish and a medal,” he added.

Lero researcher Shane Hassett said the research will quantify performance outcomes such as speed, ground contact time, flight time, muscle activation, and ankle kinematics to distinguish super spike shoes from other running spikes.

“We will investigate if the DANU sports system can be used to monitor biomechanical changes in gait when wearing the super spike shoes, focusing on how specific components biomechanically change an athlete’s sprint profile,” he added.

DANU founder and CEO Oisín Lennon said they are delighted to continue their collaboration with the University of Limerick and LERO, who he described as leaders in software and research innovation.

“UL supported us in our early development, playing a vital role in validating our technology and shaping the direction of our platform. That early partnership was instrumental in helping us move from concept to a scientifically grounded product.

“Now, it’s incredibly rewarding to see LERO and UL using our technology to drive groundbreaking research in elite sprinting – pushing the limits of what’s possible in biomechanics and performance science.

“Collaborating with researchers of this calibre not only validates our approach but also ensures we stay at the forefront of innovation. We’re excited to contribute to work that has the potential to impact sport at the highest level.”