Once our exploratory analysis of the NAS data was complete, we compared the start performance of ASs and NASs. All unilateral ASs preferred to place their affected leg on the rear block, which is consistent with observations from video recordings summarized in Taboga et al. ; 86% of unilateral ASs utilized this pattern of leg placement in the 2012 Paralympic Games. The results of the present study show that force application to the blocks is clearly impaired in ASs using sprint-specific prostheses, which is in line with the data of Taboga et al. . This impairment was higher for athletes with above-knee amputations (versus below-knee amputees), but the difference was not statistically assessed owing to the low sample sizes. When considering the fact that force application to rear block (factor 1) is more important than for the front block, it is interesting to note that most ASs prefer putting their affected legs in the rear block. Still, the factor analysis revealing the importance of rear block force application was performed within the NAS dataset only. Therefore, any inference from these results to a NAS population might be invalid. Other factors, like dynamic stability or the performance in subsequent steps might be more important in ASs and might therefore have a stronger influence on their foot placement strategy. Future research on a bigger ASs sample needs to identify the underlying mechanisms responsible for start performance in a similar way as it has been achieved for NASs in the present study.