THE STRUCTURE OF THE FINAL PREPARATION PERIOD AND ITS EFFECTS ON SPORT RESULTS OF SAILORS TAKING PART IN THE 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES

The final preparation period before the main event used to be one of the most complex tasks. Its structural and organizational aspects undoubtedly help athletes determine and achieve peak performance. The main determinants and changes in the state of performance require to employ a great deal of information related to the competitors. Optimal loads, training methods, and exercises and drills used to be adapted and measured every day. The objective of the present study was to find the crucial aspects influencing the final results, which should to be taken into consideration in the preparation period. The article aims to present the training structure and loads to optimize the final preparation period for high performance sailing before the Olympic Games competition, involving elite Finn dinghy and Mistral class sailors. The study results point to the fact that sailors are clearly becoming more aware of training quality and its effects on their performance.