A beast for FOSPO sports science
The new Lärchenplatz building at the National Sports Centre in Magglingen has been in use since last December. Now a further element has been added to the flagship sports science building: an oversize treadmill. And it was installed in quite a spectacular way.
Powerful, massive, imposing – the brand new treadmill from h/p/cosmos is an impressive being. With a 4.5 x 3m running surface, it weighs in at 11,500kg, has up to 50km/h belt-speed and up to 25 per cent incline. This veritable colossus, which for good reason is officially called ‹The Beast›, was installed in the Lärchenplatz at the end of January.
Essential for Swiss elite and competitive sport
The new treadmill replaces the previous model, which was in use in the Nordic Pavilion for 16 years. It enables sport-specific performance diagnostics for a range of disciplines, including cross-country skiing, biathlon and mountain biking. This includes recording performance factors such as maximum oxygen uptake, lactate threshold performance and capacity test performance. It can also simulate competition routes, allowing athletes to build up the physiological profile required for major events such as the Olympic Games or World Championships.
Ship in a bottle
Installing the treadmill involved several challenges: planning delays during the Lärchenplatz’s construction phase meant that a simpler installation was not logistically possible. Instead, a retrofit had to be planned. Part of the north façade of the building was constructed so that it could be opened up again later on to allow the treadmill to be installed using a lorry, mobile crane and rail system.
Now inside, the special cargo is being clad with a wooden floor construction and prepared for use. The FOSPO Beast is scheduled to be in regular operation from mid-May.