With the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics a mere 24 hours away, most of the world will be gathering around televisions to watch two weeks worth of top-level athletic competition from around the globe. But while most people will be watching the Olympics simply for the aesthetic beauty the games have to offer, Deborah King, associate professor of exercise and sport science, will be watching them a bit differently.

King is a specialist in biomechanics, in particular the science behind human movement, and is heavily involved with United States Figure Skating on its Sports Medicine Committee. What this means is while the rest of us will be watching figure skaters twirl through the air, King will be analyzing and understanding every movement necessary in these skaters’ routines.

“With some sports without a doubt, I have an appreciation for the movements, especially when I’m not watching an elite-level athlete,” King said. “If I’m outside near a running path and I’m watching people jog or run, I’ll always think either, ‘That’s really bad’ or ‘That’s the most perfect running style I’ve ever seen.’”

When she watches the top competitors in a particular sport, though, King said it’s not the movements that impress her, but the strength they have to complete those movements.

King’s prominence in the study of athletic movement prompted NBC to ask her to participate in a 16-part video series by NBC’s educational department, NBC Learn, to explain what exactly viewers will be watching when they tune into the figure skating competition.

“NBC Learn was interested in using figure skating as an example of conservation of angular momentum and how a figure skater can spin fast,” King said.

In the video, King discusses the movements of Rachael Flatt, one of the top American skaters. King breaks down Flatt’s jumps using a Phantom Cam, a camera that can shoot at up to 1,500 frames per second. By using this footage, King can see exactly how the skater is using angular momentum to spin as fast as possible during rotations.

King has worked as an adviser to United States Figure Skating and the United States Olympic Committee to help skaters develop new techniques they are working on and even develop educational materials for coaches to use.

Unfortunately, King will not be able to attend this year’s festivities but said she is excited to watch the American skaters go for the gold. She said the competition will be tough, though, against some of the top Japanese and Korean skaters.

“The figure skaters have a good chance, and it will be close at the top,” King said. “But there’s no lock in figure skating.”