{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,26]],"date-time":"2025-12-26T04:43:31Z","timestamp":1766724211341,"version":"3.48.0"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,23]],"date-time":"2025-12-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1766448000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Purpose: Optimal movement cadence is critical to success in elite triathlons. Therefore, the objective of this research was to investigate group and individual longitudinal changes in movement cadence amongst a group of junior triathletes. Method: Junior triathletes (season 1: n = 4, season 2: n = 11) who were members of the state\u2019s talent development pathway wore a single trunk-mounted inertial measurement unit during triathlon races across two triathlon seasons (October 2021 to April 2023). Sensor data were analysed using both linear and non-linear modelling to identify changes in movement cadence across the three disciplines of the triathlon. This allowed for the differences between the two modelling techniques to be contrasted. A custom automatic peak detection algorithm was used to process and analyse the movement cadence data for each triathlete in each discipline. Results: Non-linear modelling performed significantly better than linear modelling in swimming; however, there were no significant differences in model performance between cycling and running. At a group level, non-linear modelling predicted increases in swimming and running cadence across the seasons. However, negligible changes were observed in cycling cadence across the same period. Conclusions: Meaningful changes in movement cadence can be detected with a single inertial measurement unit and confidently predicted in swimming and running over a competitive season when using non-linear modelling techniques. This approach reflects the non-linear nature of human motor skill development and paves the way for similar applications in other sports.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s26010096","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,26]],"date-time":"2025-12-26T03:06:02Z","timestamp":1766718362000},"page":"96","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A Longitudinal Analysis of a Motor Skill Parameter in Junior Triathletes from a Wearable Sensor"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8444-5933","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stuart M.","family":"Chesher","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Bentley, Perth, WA 6102, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3393-1261","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dale W.","family":"Chapman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Bentley, Perth, WA 6102, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7057-7548","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bernard","family":"Liew","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Sport, Rehabilitation, and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, Essex, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4392-8760","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Simon M.","family":"Rosalie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"SR Performance, Gairloch Drive, Frankston, VIC 3199, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8218-7822","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hugh","family":"Riddell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Bentley, Perth, WA 6102, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Paula C.","family":"Charlton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Australian Institute of Sport, Leverrier Street, Canberra, ACT 2617, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3680-3548","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kevin J.","family":"Netto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Bentley, Perth, WA 6102, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1043","DOI":"10.1007\/s40279-016-0646-2","article-title":"Development of a Skill Acquisition Periodisation Framework for High-Performance Sport","volume":"47","author":"Farrow","year":"2017","journal-title":"Sports Med."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101829","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychsport.2020.101829","article-title":"Individual Differences in Performance and Learning of Visual Anticipation in Expert Field Hockey Goalkeepers","volume":"52","author":"Harbaugh","year":"2021","journal-title":"Psychol. 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