The start and acceleration from the blocks directly affect results in the sprint events. In this study, the major kinematic parameters of these phases of the race were analyzed. The subject of the study was the best Slovenian male sprinter, who was making his preparations for the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships. The study showed the following to be the key factors for performance in the two phases: the distance between the starting blocks, block velocity, block face angle, the length of the first step, the path of the vertical rise in the body’ centre of mass in the first three meters, the contact phase/flight phase index in the first ten steps and the ratio between the length and frequency of steps. As the study was on only one athlete, the results cannot be generalized. However, they may contribute to explaining phenomena related to sprinting at the highest level.