Technology has come a long way in the past few decades. The advancement in technology can really be seen within sporting events today. It can be seen not only within the equipment used within the sports, but also within the racing “uniforms” of the athletes. Although this has led to quite spectacular performances amongst athletes, it also has led to a lot of controversy.
One major sport that has really been in the controversy about technology interfering with sport performance is swimming. Having been a swimmer for six years and having been around a swimming family for many more, I have been involved with the controversy for quite some time. Swimsuits have been changing for decades. Not only has the style of the competition suit changed, but the material that the suits have been made from has also changed dramatically. In February of 2008, the newest Speedo suit was revealed, the Fastskin LZR Racer (Laser Racer). NASA actually took a role in helping to develop this suit. The LZR is made from a very lightweight, powerful, and water-repellent material. The seams of the suit are welded to prevent hardly any drag in the water. The suit literally “clings” to the body of the swimmer. In just two months after its reveal, 35 world records were set by swimmers wearing the suit! Although this may seem dandy and all, it isn’t that great when you consider that the suit is ONLY worth $500.
The first issue that arises is, is it fair for athletes to use this suit when not everyone can afford it? Although the answer should be no, it seems like that will never be the answer. If an athlete can’t afford it, then so be it. This unfortunately is what sports have come down to, the wealthy get the advantage. The biggest issue that arose with this suit was during the time of the Olympic Trials in the United States. The issue was amongst the different swim companies that sponsored the swimmers. The whole goal of a company sponsoring an athlete is to help promote that company’s products. The problem with the LZR Racer was that it only was a Speedo product. Athletes that were sponsored by Nike, TYR, Arena, etc., wanted to wear this new suit that was causing world records left and right. No company had created a suit even close to the suit that Speedo had just created. My cousin, Whitney, is a pro-swimmer with Nike. Although she loves representing this company, she felt like wearing one of their suits at the Olympic Trials would hurt her chance of qualifying for the games (along with all the other Nike Pro Swimmers). The new developed Nike suit, the Nike Swift, just wasn’t anything like that of Speedo’s. When one becomes pro with a company, he or she is only allowed to wear clothing of that company and no others. It is part of the contract that they sign. Much controversy was brought up over the swimsuit issue. Many meetings were held around the nation to try and solve the problem. Many people tried to get the suit banned from the trials so athletes could have an equal chance of qualifying. In the end, the suit was not banned. It turned out that some companies, like Nike, agreed to letting their athletes wear the suit at Trials. They figured it would be better for the company to have one of their athletes make the games even if it meant wearing another company’s product. However, there were some companies, like TYR, that did not let their athletes wear the LZR Racer. They felt it was important for their athletes to wear and promote their own company’s suit.
Not only was it an issue at the Olympic Trials here in the United States, but it also was an issue worldwide at the Olympics in Beijing. Each country is sponsored by a certain swim company. The United States is sponsored by Speedo, so of course the athletes of the U.S. wore the LZR Racer at the Olympic Games. However, there were countries, like Germany, that were sponsored by a different brand like Adidas. Not only did these specific athletes feel like they were at a disadvantage, but people worldwide felt they were. Before the Olympic Games, 48 world records were set, 44 of them in the LZR Racer suit. No wonder non-speedo athletes were worried and upset! There were some countries, like Japan, that actually decided to allow their athletes to wear the Speedo LZR Racer, even if they were sponsored by a different company. Although this could have led to the loss of support by their country’s sponsor, they felt it was worth the risk considering how much success the Speedo suit had already had. While many people tried to ban the suit at the Olympics, in the end nothing was changed. The suit was allowed to be worn at the games.
Is it really the athlete’s true performance, or is it the suit that is resulting in so much success? Should the suit be allowed to be worn even if everyone else in the competition is not allowed to wear it? These are the questions and issues that have been arising day in and day out. When will there be a final answer?!
Picture of USA swimsuit worn at the Beijing Olympics:
