Validity of a wearable device for measuring vertical displacement and jump count in young artistic roller skating athletes.

This article evaluates the validity of the Vert inertial measurement unit (IMU) for measuring vertical displacement and jump count in young female artistic roller skating athletes. Two investigations compared Vert data to Optojump photocell measurements and retrospective video analysis, finding strong correlations for most jump types but a systematic overestimation of jump height by approximately 9.96 cm. The Vert device demonstrated excellent precision and recall in detecting jumps among elite athletes, though its accuracy decreased for sub-elite athletes and certain connecting jumps within combination sequences. The study concludes that while the Vert IMU offers a practical tool for near real-time jump monitoring in elite artistic roller skating, limitations exist for lower-level athletes and specific jump types due to technical and biomechanical factors.