319: Acceleration, Plyometrics and the Transfer to Performance

About this episode

This episode features a discussion on speed development and performance in bobsleigh with Olympic silver medallist Eric Franke.

In this episode of the Science for Sport Podcast, Richard Graves is joined by Olympic silver medallist and high performance coach Eric Franke. Eric competed for Germany in bobsleigh, winning Olympic silver in Pyeongchang 2018 alongside multiple World Championship medals across two-man and four-man competition. Since retiring from elite competition, he has moved into high performance coaching, working with athletes in speed development, sprint mechanics and sliding sports. This conversation explores what it really takes to perform under Olympic pressure, the physical demands of bobsleigh, and why speed still doesn’t always get the attention it deserves in team sport environments. Eric breaks down the qualities needed to accelerate a heavy sled on ice, the difference between being fast and being effective in a sport-specific context, and why developing speed requires more than simply adding sprint drills into a programme. He also reflects openly on his own career, including the mistakes he made as an athlete, the value of testing and tracking progress honestly, and how his coaching philosophy has developed around communication, individualisation and helping athletes become more…

People in this episode

Host: Richard Graves

Guest: Eric Franke

Topics covered

• acceleration
• plyometrics
• performance
• bobsleigh
• speed development
• coaching
• athlete management

Keywords

• acceleration
• plyometrics
• bobsleigh
• speed development
• sprint mechanics
• high performance coaching
• Olympic pressure
• athlete management

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Germany

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