'Back-of-the-envelope' wind and altitude correction for 100 metre sprint times

摘要

A simple algebraic expression is presented to correct men's and women's 100metre sprint times for ambient wind and altitude effects. The simplifiedformula is derived from a more complicated equation of motion used to model theathlete's velocity as a function of time (the velocity curve). This methodpredicts adjustments to 0-wind and 0-altitude equivalents, which are inexcellent agreement to other estimates presented in the literature. Theexpression is easily programmable on any computer, and could conveniently beused by coaches, meet directors, or the media to assess the performance ofathletes and the quality of a race immediately following the event.