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UC Davis experts: The Summer Olympics

The University of California, Davis, has campus experts available to provide commentary related to the Olympics.

Nutrition and fitness

Nationally renowned nutrition and fitness authority Liz Applegate is an expert on the topics of exercise and healthy eating. She has published several books, including "Bounce Your Body Beautiful," "The Encyclopedia of Sports and Fitness Nutrition" and "Eat Smart, Play Hard." She has written over 300 articles for national magazines, and is nutrition editor and a columnist for Runner's World magazine. Applegate serves on the board of directors for the American Council on Exercise and is a nutrition consultant for various U.S. Olympic teams. Contact: Liz Applegate, Nutrition, (530) 758-6281, eaapplegate@ucdavis.edu.

Biomechanics, movement performance, injury prevention

UC Davis biomechanist David Hawkins studies the mechanisms that influence skeletal muscle performance and human movement. His work at the UC Davis Human Performance Laboratory aims to develop tools and training strategies that can assist people with musculoskeletal disorders, as well as prevent injury and maximize athletic performance. He can talk about the properties of bone, ligament, tendon, muscle and other biological tissues, including how they respond to exercise and disuse. His recent research has focused on muscle-tendon units and strategies to minimize anterior cruciate ligament injuries. Contact: David Hawkins, Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, (530) 752-2748, dahawkins@ucdavis.edu.

Politics in Olympic figure skating scores

Unlike ski racing or swimming, where the stopwatch is the arbiter, figure skating is open to political bias, says UC Davis political science professor John Scott, who participated in a 2007 study of Olympic figure skating results spanning five decades. The research found a persistent and consistent "patriotic" bias among judges toward skaters from their own country, both during the Cold War and afterward. Overall, Scott found that judges scored skaters from their own countries about five places better than did judges from other nations. Contact: John Scott, Political Science, (530) 752-0972, jtscott@ucdavis.edu.

Psychology of sports and team dynamics

Paul Salitsky, a UC Davis lecturer in exercise biology, studies the psychological aspects of sports and exercise. He is interested in how individuals ranging from elite athletes to the severely ill can become motivated to focus and achieve their goals. Salitsky is also interested in how a successful team performance can inspire a passionate response from fans. He has consulted with teams, athletes, coaches and performers at all levels to help them enhance their sports performance. He is a Certified Consultant from the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP) and has been on the Sport Psychology Registry of the U.S. Olympic Committee since 2000. He was also selected in 2000 to join the Sport Psychology Committee for USA Track & Field. Contact: Paul Salitsky, Exercise Biology, (530) 752-3381, pbsalitsky@ucdavis.edu.

Track and field

UC Davis women's track and field coach Deanne Vochatzer has the distinction of having been named the head coach of the U.S. women's track and field team at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. She is a consultant for Nike, the National High School Coaches Association and the U.S. Justice Department on alcohol and drug education for athletics, and has commentated for ESPN. She served as director of competition for the 2000 track and field Olympic trials in Sacramento and was inducted into the U.S. Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002. Contact: Deanne Vochatzer, Track, (530) 752-5057, dmvochatzer@ucdavis.edu.

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Last updated Feb. 5, 2010