With the Olympics in full swing most media attention is drawn to the medal race of Michael Phelps and the powerhouse American swim team. Among all the glory and the smashing of world records, justifications have been made over the seemingly disproportionate number of records set verses previous Olympics.
To some, it is obvious that improved training, better health, and new technology has made for better athletes, but others point to technology as a drain on the purity of the sport.
The latest fervor in swimming is the development of the LZR Racer which molds your body into a better stance and reduces drag. These improvements bring in to question the legitimacy of technologies role in modern sports. Should we go back to loincloths and dirt tracks or do you welcome technological improvements?
The New York Times writes:
Fauquet has called for more debate about the use of Speedo’s LZR Racer, the latest advance in the full-body suit craze popularized in the last eight years. The Racer has been worn in the setting of about four dozen world records since its introduction in February. The corsetlike suit is made by ultrasonic welding instead of stitching, can require a half-hour to put on and shoehorns the body into a more streamlined position.
Critics suspect that the suit aids buoyancy in the water, in violation of performance-enhancing rules set by the international swimming federation, known as FINA. Alberto Castagnetti, the Italian national swim coach whose team wears a rival brand, has equated the Racer with “technological doping.” Some say the suit can boost performance as much as 2 percent; that can mean the difference between a gold medalist and an also-ran.
[New York Times: As Swimming Records Fall, Technology Muddies the Water]
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I could care less about the technology, I just want to lick every inch of it…..
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August 13th, 2008 at 10:13 am
The olympics and the athletes who participate are a testament to what mankind can do and achieve. With this in mind I believe our technological advances are no less important than our athletic ones, and fully welcome the way technology improves upon mankind’s athletic acheivements.
August 13th, 2008 at 11:09 am
I admit to getting caught up in Olympic fever, but I see it more as a media event than athletic competition. I wonder what percentage of athletes is on Viagra. LZR Racer = Spanx on steroids.
August 13th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Being a lifelong competitive swimmer from 7 into college, i can say this suit has had the impact everyone is talking about. It repels water rather than absorbing it. It creates an efficiency unmatched.
Interestingly enough, it does change the body’s shape in the water and ultimately alters strokes a bit as well. As far as the open lanes on both sides and the downforce lane lines mentioned, those have actually been around for decades.
This suit is the real deal.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Time to go back to the original rules and go nude.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
The games aren’t just about sports; they’re about celebrating the accomplishments of human kind and our scientific advancements are definitely part of that.
I don’t think this takes away from the “spirit of competition” and I think it’s completely different from “doping.” These are not changes that will turn a poor athlete into a great athlete, as opposed to steroids or HGH, for example. Great athletes become great athletes as a result of talent, hard work, and dedication, not spiffy state of the art clothes. These advancements will merely allow the natural talent of great athletes to shine through to an even greater extent. What’s not to like!
August 13th, 2008 at 3:08 pm