The temptation to compare athletic and sporting performances between different eras, is doomed to disappointment. Whilst we could standardise a javelin, we can

The temptation to compare athletic and sporting performances between different eras, is doomed to disappointment. Whilst we could standardise a javelin, we can’t recreate the culture, diet, stadia etc of bygone epochs, so the comparisons will always be qualified or debased. It is frustrating that we don’t have time machines,but perhaps that’s a reason to think further about what it is that fascinates us about athletic and sporting contests.