Professor M R (Fred) Yeadon

Fred Yeadon graduated in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge in 1968 and, after a number of years teaching mathematics, obtained his PhD in Biomechanics from 含羞草视频 in 1985. He then took up a biomechanics position at the University of Calgary and in 1990 returned to 含羞草视频 where he is currently Emeritus Professor of Computer Simulation in Sport.

Fred has received awards from the International Society of Biomechanics, the American Society of Biomechanics, and the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports for his research on the computer simulation of twisting somersaults and continues to research in this area and to provide practical advice to gymnasts, divers, trampolinists and freestyle aerial skiers.

Other research interests include the computer simulation of gymnastics, high jumping, and diving, and the control of sports movements.

Selected Research Projects and Sources of Funding

• Biomechanics of elite gymnastics skills. British Gymnastics, £326,000. October 2001 - September 2011.
• National Gymnastics Performance and Research Centre. Science Research Investment Fund, £1,160,000. July 2001 - March 2004.

• “Aerial Movement: control, optimisation and limits of performance”.  Invited Lecture, International Society of Biomechanics Congress, Calgary, 31 July - 4 August 2019
• “Sports Biomechanics Research: Ideas and Investigations”.  Jim Hay Memorial Lecture, World Congress of Biomechanics, Boston, 6 – 11 July 2014
• “Optimal technique, variability, control, and skilled performance”.  Invited keynote lecture for the 31^st Conference of the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports, Taipei, 7 – 11 July 2013
• "Computer simulation of sport: insight, optimisation and application".  Invited keynote lecture for The XXIII Congress of the "International Society of Biomechanics, Brussels, 3 - 7 July 2011.
• “Applications of Modelling to the Improvement of Sports Techniques”.  Invited keynote lecture for the Sport Innovation Summit, Ottawa, 18 – 19 November 2010
• Applications of computer simulation in sport". Invited keynote lecture for the 12th International Symposium on Computer Simulation in Biomechanics, Cape Town, South Africa, 2 - 4 July 2009.
• "The uses of computer simulation for improving sports performance". Invited keynote lecture for XXX FIMS World Congress of Sports Medicine, Barcelona, Spain, 18 - 23 November 2008.
• "Applications of modelling to the improvement of sports technique". Geoffrey Dyson Lecture for the 26th Conference of the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports, Seoul, South Korea, 14 - 18 July 2008.
• "Computer simulation of gymnastics skills". Invited keynote lecture for Association Francaise de Recherche en Activites Gymniques et Acrobatiques 5th International Conference, Tunis, Tunisia, 11 - 13 April 2005.
• "Computer simulation of optimum sports performance". Invited keynote lecture for German Sport Science Convention, Muenster, Germany, 21 - 23 September 2003

Awards

• 2014  Jim Hay Memorial Award for Research in Sports and Exercise Biomechanics, American Society of Biomechanics
• 2011 Honorary Membership, International Society of Biomechanics.
• 2008 Geoffrey Dyson Award, International Society of Biomechanics in Sports.
• 2002 Academic Challenge Award, Technical University of Munich.

• Yeadon, M.R. and Pain, M.T.G. 2023. Fifty years of performance鈥恟elated sports biomechanics research. Journal of Biomechanics155, 111666.
• Yeadon, M.R. and Hiley, M.R. 2019. The limits of aerial and contact techniques for producing twist in reverse 1½ somersault dives. Human Movement Science 66, 390-398. 
• Yeadon, M.R. and Hiley, M.R. 2018. The limits of aerial techniques for producing twist in forward 1½ somersault dives. Human Movement Science 58, 97-107.
• Yeadon, M.R. and Hiley, M.R. 2017. Twist limits for late twisting double somersaults on trampoline. Journal of Biomechanics 58, 174-178.
• Yeadon, M.R. 2015. Twisting Somersaults, pp. 362. 含羞草视频: SB & MC. ISBN: 978-0-9932566-0-8.
• Yeadon, M.R. and Hiley, M.J.  2014.  The control of twisting somersaults.  Journal of Biomechanics 47, 1340-1347.
• Yeadon, M.R., Jackson, M.I. and Hiley, M.J.  2014.  The influence of touchdown conditions and contact phase technique on post-flight height in the straight handspring somersault vault.  Journal of Biomechanics 47, 3143-3148.
• Yeadon, M.R.  2013.  The limits of aerial twisting techniques in the aerials event of freestyle skiing.  Journal of Biomechanics 46, 1008-1013. 
• Yeadon, M.R. and Knight, J.P.  2012.  A virtual environment for learning to view during aerial movements.  Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 15, 919-924.
• Yeadon, M.R., Rosamond, E.L. and Hiley, M.J. 2012. The biomechanical design of a gymnastics training aid for a handstand on the rings. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers: Part P, Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology 226, 24-31.
• Yeadon, M.R., King, M.A., Caldwell, G.E., Pain, M.T.G. and Forrester, S. 2010. The need for muscle co-contraction prior to a landing. Journal of Biomechanics 43, 364-369.
• Yeadon, M.R., King, M.A. and Wilson, C. 2006. Modelling the maximum voluntary joint torque/angular velocity relationship in human movement. Journal of Biomechanics 39, 476-482.
• Yeadon, M.R., Kong, P.W., and King, M.A. 2006. Parameter determination for computer simulation model of a diver and a springboard. Journal of Applied Biomechanics 22, 167-176.
• Yeadon, M.R., Trewartha, G. and Knight, J.P. 2004. Model based automatic tracking of articulated human movement. Sports Engineering 7, 53-63.
• Yeadon, M.R. and Brewin, M.A. 2003. Optimised performance of the backward longswing on rings. Journal of Biomechanics 36, 545-552.
• Yeadon, M.R. and Trewartha, G. 2003. Control strategy for a hand balance. Motor Control 7, 411-430.
• Yeadon, M.R. and King, M.A. 2002. Evaluation of a torque-driven simulation model of tumbling. Journal of Applied Biomechanics 18, 195-206.