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Although less obvious, there are other areas in sport where these issues currently exist. One of the more recent controversies resulted in the ban of LZR Racer

by brildum 14y ago

Although less obvious, there are other areas in sport where these issues currently exist. One of the more recent controversies resulted in the ban of LZR Racer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZR_Racer#FINA_rule_changes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZR_Racer#FINA_rule_changes), a swimsuit which resulted in an abnormally high number of world records during the years it was available. Whats to say that track shoes can't have similar performance aiding effects? It may be time for sporting officials to limit the equipment athletes can use. NASCAR does this successfully -- they have stringent specifications regarding the cars/parts that can be used to keep the races competitive.

roguecoder 14y ago
And steroid after steroid has gone through similar processes; there is a reason there are still world records from the 80s East Germany and the Soviet Union. In less obvious advantages we have dietary supplements, training at altitude or in altitude chambers, biomechanical analysis and direct muscle stimulation. Every athletic competition is a balance between what technology gets through and which doesn't. Most olympic athletes are already genetic outliers; I'm sure sooner or later gene therapy will become a major issue. The idea that athletics is purely a competition of body is a convenient fiction, nothing more. It seems a shame to me to exclude people simply because they challenge that fiction.
- lusr 14y ago
  Just because you cannot set all variables outside the body to equal does not mean you should have a free-for-all.
vl 14y ago
But this is just absurd, everyone has access to them, why not to allow everyone to use the suites and advance the sport clothing? Same thing happened with skates (of all things): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clap_skate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clap_skate and everyone just switched to the new design and continued racing.

by brildum 14y ago

roguecoder 14y ago

And steroid after steroid has gone through similar processes; there is a reason there are still world records from the 80s East Germany and the Soviet Union. In less obvious advantages we have dietary supplements, training at altitude or in altitude chambers, biomechanical analysis and direct muscle stimulation. Every athletic competition is a balance between what technology gets through and which doesn't. Most olympic athletes are already genetic outliers; I'm sure sooner or later gene therapy will become a major issue. The idea that athletics is purely a competition of body is a convenient fiction, nothing more. It seems a shame to me to exclude people simply because they challenge that fiction.

lusr 14y ago
Just because you cannot set all variables outside the body to equal does not mean you should have a free-for-all.

vl 14y ago

But this is just absurd, everyone has access to them, why not to allow everyone to use the suites and advance the sport clothing? Same thing happened with skates (of all things): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clap_skate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clap_skate and everyone just switched to the new design and continued racing.