Analysis of 50 meters Sprint Speed Among Adolescent Track and Field Athletes

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the 50-meter sprint performance of adolescent track and field athletes aged 13–15 years in Tangerang City who trained at athletic clubs and development centers. A quantitative descriptive study with a cross-sectional approach was conducted involving 70 athletes (40 males and 30 females) selected using purposive sampling. Sprint performance was assessed using the standardized 50-meter sprint test from the Indonesian Physical Fitness Test (TKJI). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent-samples t-tests with a significance level of 0.05. The results showed that male athletes from development centers achieved a lower mean sprint time than athletes from athletic clubs (6.90 s vs. 7.60 s), with a statisti-cally significant difference (t(38) = 3.399, p = 0.002; 95% CI = 0.22–0.88; Cohen's d = 1.08). In contrast, female athletes from development centers also record-ed a lower mean sprint time than club athletes (8.00 s vs. 8.30 s), but the dif-ference was not statistically significant (p = 0.190). These findings indicated differences in sprint performance among male athletes, whereas sprint per-formance among female athletes was comparable between the two groups. Because this study employed a cross-sectional observational design, the find-ings describe performance differences observed at the time of testing and should not be interpreted as evidence of the effectiveness or superiority of a particular training environment. This study provides baseline information on the sprint performance profile of adolescent athletes in Tangerang City that may support athlete monitoring and future research on factors associated with sprint performance.