It is possible to have a 'negative acceleration' value while the athlete or object is actually 'speeding' up.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is due to the direction of the acceleration. While this would not occur in horizontal movements, this may occur in in the case of acceleration due to the gravity of the Earth. This would be a downward (towards the earth) acceleration of 9.81 m/s² (i.e. an object will speed up (increase its velocity) as it falls towards the centre of the Earth.

It Is Possible to Have a 'Negative Acceleration' Value While