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Swimming ran into this kind of problem with full body swim suits. It turns out that reducing friction really sped up the swimmers, and the fancier suits were s

by spott 10y ago

Swimming ran into this kind of problem with full body swim suits. It turns out that reducing friction really sped up the swimmers, and the fancier suits were subsequently banned from FINA races[0]. There is probably always going to be some technological advantage found with various sportswear. In some sense, the "fairest" option is to just make everyone wear "equally capable" sportswear. In swimming, everyone wears the same swimsuit; in running, everyone wears the "same" shoes (quantify the benefits that are given by the shoes, and then keep everyone within those bounds). Unfortunately, with the benefit of marketing that shoe makers get from these kinds of things, I doubt this will happen. [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZR_Racer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZR_Racer

basseq 10y ago
quantify the benefits that are given by the shoes, and then keep everyone within those bounds Which is what they're trying to do. You can't make everyone wear the same shoe, because Shoe X may work better for you and Shoe Y may work better for me. (Then you add the complexity may be that Shoe Company Y may be willing to pay you more money.) But the downside is that it's lowest-common denominator technology. Every time a manufacturer comes up with a game-changing idea, it's "unfair" because they've figured out a way to give more benefit in a way that no one else has, yet.
clarry 10y ago
I wouldn't mind a "natural" league where people compete with their junk out, like in good old Roman olympics. That would shift focus fully back to the athletes and their performance, as opposed to the technology they're using. I am concerned that is very difficult if not impossible to come up with precise rules that put everyone in equal standing with regard to technology. Someone will always find a way to gain an advantage, within the allowed limits, or the limits are made in such a way that they favor certain people and conversely. But this wouldn't solve the problem of doping.
- Someone 10y ago
  Even that wouldn't solve it completely. If you look at horse racing, the 'going' (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going_(horse_racing) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going_(horse_racing) ) hugely affects results. Similarly, in running, some people run better at height, others in the rain, etc.
  - pcr0 10y ago
    But for the most part, track conditions affect all contestants equally so I wouldn't compare it to technologically advanced sportswear which gives an advantage to individual athletes.

by spott 10y ago

basseq 10y ago

quantify the benefits that are given by the shoes, and then keep everyone within those bounds Which is what they're trying to do. You can't make everyone wear the same shoe, because Shoe X may work better for you and Shoe Y may work better for me. (Then you add the complexity may be that Shoe Company Y may be willing to pay you more money.) But the downside is that it's lowest-common denominator technology. Every time a manufacturer comes up with a game-changing idea, it's "unfair" because they've figured out a way to give more benefit in a way that no one else has, yet.

clarry 10y ago

I wouldn't mind a "natural" league where people compete with their junk out, like in good old Roman olympics. That would shift focus fully back to the athletes and their performance, as opposed to the technology they're using. I am concerned that is very difficult if not impossible to come up with precise rules that put everyone in equal standing with regard to technology. Someone will always find a way to gain an advantage, within the allowed limits, or the limits are made in such a way that they favor certain people and conversely. But this wouldn't solve the problem of doping.

Someone 10y ago
Even that wouldn't solve it completely. If you look at horse racing, the 'going' (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going_(horse_racing) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going_(horse_racing) ) hugely affects results. Similarly, in running, some people run better at height, others in the rain, etc.
- pcr0 10y ago
  But for the most part, track conditions affect all contestants equally so I wouldn't compare it to technologically advanced sportswear which gives an advantage to individual athletes.