Should Technology in Sports Be Limited?

Technology has advanced so much throughout recent years, and it is even getting much better in sports. For example, Adidas and Nike have made many improvements with their football boots, with their own respective types of knitting. Adidas with Primeknit and Nike with Flyknit. Adidas has also come out with Boost, which is now considered the best running shoe out there. Sports companies also create many different versions of one product, so that it fits every person and fits every playstyle, which is very important. But should it be limited for athletes? Well, I really don't think it should. When brands come out with new technology, they do it all for the players and the regular person who is a fan of the sport and wants to get better. The players also play a part in designing their own shoe and creating their own technology so that it works best for them, and that’s a good thing because they will be at peak performance. It might not seem obvious, but there is a huge difference between an athlete with a product that fits them the best versus an athlete with a random product they saw. Every split second counts, and that’s what wins the game for the athlete who can play at their best and play how they play. That is why technology should not be limited in sports.

I feel like although some technology is necessary to keep the athletes safe, a lot of it today make the athletes surpass past records because of those technology increases. In the Ted Talk below, David Epstein talks about in one part of his speech about cycling and how in 2000 they made the cyclist trying for the record use the same technology as the same person who set the record in 1972. The amount of miles when from a 5 mile difference to less than 1,000 feet. Just something to think about https://www.ted.com/talks/david_epstein_are_athletes_really_getting_faster_better_stronger/transcript?language=en

I strongly believe that if technology can make a sport safer than it should be used, but once sports shift from the physical hardship and practice of people to the help and usage of technological enhancements, that's when it only becomes a game. Things such as the Clap skate and multi-fabric body suits may improve results, but they don't take away from the learning aspect making it easier to be a professional.

While it appears that we are entering a new phase in sports, we have not yet witnessed the “Peak Olympics”. As humans, we constantly evolve. We get bigger, stronger, and faster with the passage of time. If we look back decades or centuries ago, humans were smaller and had a shorter life span. But with improved technology and lifestyles, this has changed for the better. Concurrent with our pre-existing idea of evolution, people seeks advancements in sport as well. The advancements and introduction of technology in sports doesn’t have to come in forms of computers or gadgets. Rather, it comes in the enhancement of existing technology. For example, in tennis, the material used in tennis racquets have evolved dramatically throughout the years. Tennis racquets started out as short, wooden sticks that had very weak strings. Now, they are made of graphite, fibreglass, and other synthetic material. The strings have changed as well. Though the technology has advanced, the concept of the sport remains the same. The games are faster and more powerful. The athletes are become bigger and stronger. Technology pushes them to their peak. Technology doesn’t give any one athlete an advantage over another because they are both going to use it. I think technology strengthens an athlete’s talent. It allows them to push their bodies and to create new limits for themselves.

I think technology in sports is acceptable depending on how it will be used. In the sport of soccer, they use something called goal-line technology. They use this to determine if some goals scored are actually goals. In football, however, the NFL are now giving gloves to their athletes that are so much stickier. This let receivers have a higher chance of catching it.

Technology should be allowed in Sports with certain limits but we should not make them too strict. How can we limit technology when technology is what allows so many of these athletes who have lost limbs compete in events. Technology can not only improve the athletes performance but it can improve the effectiveness of timing the races, replays to show what happened, and to make up for human imperfections. But is it smart to take out the human aspect? This is why we need to limit the use of technology but still allow it.

I think that you need the most technologically advanced equipment when you work out in order to have an enhanced performance, and get any advantage you can through technology when you are off the field or court. But when it comes to the actual game, you need to leave it out and just let the play happen. Take an NFL game, for example. They have so many unnecessary stoppages in play to go for an official review of questionable plays, and review every touchdown catch to make sure it meets the requirement for a catch in the NFL. Many touchdowns are ruled back because the did not fully meet the rule for a catch, ruining the excitement and flow of the game and making it a lot longer and less interesting. And now, in soccer they are introducing a "video assistant referee", or VAR, in many leagues and tournaments. The point of soccer is that is a free-flowing, open game, and referees are bound to make controversial calls or miss certain things. Now, it's like the NFL- they could review every single goals, foul, and offside call to make sure they got it right. It's ruining the most pure game in the world. VAR needs to end, and instant review in the NFL needs to be more loose to make a more free-flowing, watchable, and faster game. The tech in your workouts are good, and even aerodynamic jerseys are fine. But computers on the field is not why people play, and will make people stop playing if they don't loosen up a little bit and just let the game be played.

I agree with this article in that technology has had a huge impact on the world of sports. Not only has improved technology provided for better equipment, it has also provided for better time keeping and motion sensing technology, making it possible to beat record by 1/100th of a second. It would require less effort to beat a 30 year old record now, than it would have 30 years ago, because of improvements in track quality, shoes and apparel. New technology is also making an even playing field, because an athlete is no longer limited by equipment quality, but by his physical ability.

I think that we have reached peak performance in sports, but at the same time we haven’t. The changes in the records will be much, much smaller than they were in the past, but we will always be breaking the record. This is, in part, due to technological advancements, but it is also because of the way us humans work. Records are made to be broken, and they will continue to be. However, people who competed 50 years ago would be much faster if they competed now, with all the new technological advancements. In the same way, how fast would our athletes in the present day be if all the technology was taken away? All the technology is getting to a point where it is actually affecting the raw talent of the athletes. I feel like it gives them too much of a boost in performance, almost the same way drugs do. For instance, football gloves keep getting stickier and stickier, to the point where there is less skill involved in catching the ball. Other technology, like goal line technology in soccer, doesn’t actually give players a performance boost, but instead makes the game more fair. I think technology is going too far in some directions, creating less talent in athletes.

Of course, technology is going to make people faster, but then it is no longer a fair comparison of human evolution. When we bring technology into the mix, it becomes a different event. Of course that doesn’t mean it isn’t exciting it’s amazing to see what technology can do to sports, but it kind of voids the point of the Olympics which is to push the human body to it’s limit. As for peak performance, I think it is very obvious that we haven’t. We are constantly getting faster, smarter and stronger because we are developing faster and better ways to train. If we continue to let tech into sports these training methods will become even faster, and more efficient. Whether or not you believe technology should be used in sports is directly related to which you believe sports are: an exciting thing to be constantly improved on by tech, or a place where we see if humans have evolved.

Although the article made some really solid points, I'm going to have to disagree. Humanity has not and will never reach it's peak performance. There will always be someone bigger, faster, stronger than before ready to take the place of the older, weaker generation. As long as humans keep going, technology will too, and there is no reason why people shouldn't use it to improve their performance. At the first modern Olympic games in 1895 Thomas Burke won the gold medal in the men's 100 meter dash with a time of 11.2 seconds, if he were to be running to day he would have a solid chance at bronze, a high school track meet. How have humans improved this much over such little time? Yes, the technology of course. Sprinters used to run on a track mad from soft ashes wearing leather clogs and a button down, now the run a synthetic track with shoes that are so light you can't even remember they are on your feet. Although we may have seen the last of rapid improvement in athletics, humans have always and will always get better and better, even if its .02 of a second.

Although the article made some really solid points, I'm going to have to disagree. Humanity has not and will never reach it's peak performance. There will always be someone bigger, faster, stronger than before ready to take the place of the older, weaker generation. As long as humans keep going, technology will too, and there is no reason why people shouldn't use it to improve their performance. At the first modern Olympic games in 1895 Thomas Burke won the gold medal in the men's 100 meter dash with a time of 11.2 seconds, if he were to be running today he would have a solid chance at the bronze medal, in a high school track meet. How have humans improved this much over such little time? Yes, the technology of course. Sprinters used to run on a track mad from soft ashes wearing leather clogs and a button down, now the run a synthetic track with shoes that are so light you can't even remember they are on your feet. Although we may have seen the last of rapid improvement in athletics, humans have always and will always get better and better, even if its .02 of a second.

As our society adapts to our ever-growing technological prowess, there is bound to be aspects of technology in everything. One place in particular, sports, is where many people are going to seek enhancements through technological means. In my opinion, and as a swimmer, I believe any enhancements in sports is, first of all, unsportsmanlike and dishonorable, and secondly disregards the work of the people who came that far without technology. Becoming the best is not supposed to be easy; it requires work and dedication, and technology makes that all the easier. Swimming is hard, and through experience, and plain knowledge, I’ve discovered that the people who do not work hard never do well at meets. If technology was given to those who don’t work, they will abuse it. There is some aspect of technology that is helpful, such as timing and underwater analysis, but enhancements to your body will hopefully never be allowed, as the human body is always reaching new limits; unlike this article falsely mistakes.

The article made a solid point and even provided statistics to back it up, so I agree that humans have partially met their limits, however, with amazing new technology, their overall results will continue to increase. While acknowledging that technology has now become a very important factor to these Olympic participants, I believe the author, and many other people, overlook the principle of hard work. These Olympic winners are still putting incredible effort into their event, practicing more hours a day than I sleep at night. I believe that the true time and struggling put in by these stars are omitted due to technological factors. However, in reality, if you have ever played a sport, you should know you aren’t just going to stroll on into the competition and win. It takes hard work and determination to make it were they have and I think they deserve more credit rather than blaming their success on technology. The article shares a quote from researcher Len Brownlie, “By stifling the technology or blocking new technology, you risk, to some extent, making your sport irrelevant.” Now, I am definitely not denying this is true, however, I can also assure that technology is becoming the star of the show. Olympic viewers aren’t going to stare at 31 mph skaters shouting, “Look at those clap skates!” or “How cool are those bodysuits!” That’s simply not the case. Just watching them zoom past somehow manages to raise your adrenaline in excitement. The skaters, not the technology.

I have to disagree with the article here because I truly believe that humanity hasn’t reached its peak potential when it comes to athletics. Beside from performance enhancing drugs there aren’t that many ways to enhance the human body as of yet. But as in the early 20th-Century century how they thought they were at the peak of sports it only seems right that some 100 years later we too would think the same. The truth is that a lot of different technologies could be invented in the next century. Stuart A. Thompson writes “After nearly 100 years of constant improvement, we seem to be entering a new phase in sports: Peak Olympics, when the steady March of human progress reaches it final plateau”. How can the author here truly believe that in the next century there will be no substantial improvement in human athletics. Already we are seeing the beginnings of bioaugmentation of the human body with simplified metal legs and arms. I think that it would be foolhardy to think that improvement is no where near a possibility and it is definitely going to happen eventrually.

Olympic competitors have been finding technology to improve their speed and win for their country. In the end the human race has reached its final plateau (little to no change) period. There is always going to be a new record of something regardless of what it is because that is just how us humans act. We love to beat records and show people up ever by the fewest of seconds. The Russian skater Debis Yuskov broke the nearly decade-old 1,500-meter record, shaving off 0.02 seconds of the original time. He most likely did this by using technology. This is my opinion, but all the technology takes away from the actual person of how they’re able to race. It’s not all the competitor’s physical abilities. They’re enhanced with multi-fabric bodysuits. These bodysuits were introduced in 2002 to reduces drag by more than half a second in the competitors’ races. This takes away from the enjoyment to watch the speedskating, fans and athletes do not like the fact that technology is taking center stages over athletes. In conclusion, I do think that humans have reached their peak of improvement of physical abilities to beat world records. As well as using technology to help enhance they’re natural abilities just to beat world records.

I think that humans are not at their peak in many sports. The authors are arguing that because the difference in performance times are becoming smaller and smaller, the athletes seem to be reaching a peak performance level at which they will no longer be able to improve, or will only be able to improve through improved technology. I completely disagree with this for multiple reasons. From what I've seen, athletes are getting more and more skilled. For my example, I'll use running. Specifically, the mile run. In 1855, the first recorded mile time record on a track was set, with a time of 4:28:00. That's ridiculously slow for a professional. Even my friend can run a mile faster than that. By 1886, the mile record had dropped to 4:12:75. From 1945 to 1954, the record had been 4:01:40, until it was broken with a time of 3:59:40. From 1855 to 1954, the record has gone down by 29 seconds. Now, the record stands at 3:43:13. In 64 years, the record has gone down by 16 seconds. Between 1954 and 2018, the record has gone down by an average of four seconds per year, while between 1855 and 1954, the record has gone down by an average of 3.41 seconds. The athletes in this case are actually improving more quickly as time goes by, rather than plateauing. With the new technology that is being made, athletes aren't getting an unfair advantage to boost their performance, athletes are actually improving the same amount as they did back in the 1850s, when track spikes were first being produced.

The statistics are crystal clear. It’s pretty obvious that the Olympic athletes have reached a peak, we all knew it was going to happen one day, and now we’re pretty much there. Humans can only get so fast, and so strong. The reality is that the better we get, the fewer accomplishments we will make. That isn't the question we should be dwelling on. The important question this article raises is whether or not we should be using technology to enhance our performances in sports, and if so, to what extent we should be doing that. My answer to this whole question is a resounding “What does it matter?” In my ideal world, we would keep sports as a friendly competition, just something to better each other. But this isn’t my ideal world- in fact, it’s far from it. Enhancements in the Olympics, and in sports as a whole are completely, 100% unavoidable. Despite what I want to believe, there’s always someone who's going to have some sort of unnatural advantage; because from steroids to deflated footballs - SOMEONE is always going to be cheating. So is this really a question that requires much thought? Not at all. Anyone who doesn’t live under a rock understands that technological interference in sports kind of defeats the purpose - especially with the Olympics, where athletes have to train for years. The unfortunate thing is that it’s inevitable because, in this world, things are only becoming more connected, and more computerized. Sports are no exception.

One sport that I can think of that has definitely increased its technology over the years would be football. Back when football was just becoming a sport the players only had leather helmets, I mean you might as well wear paper on your head. As a football player myself I really understand the need for technology in football. As much as we try to avoid them, head to head collisions on the field are a real thing. I believe technology has really taken a big role in preventing concussions and other injuries in football, and it has definitely changed the game.

I have to say that I think we may have reached a peak in the Olympics with certain sports, and that's concluded in the graphs and charts of the racing events. It's sad to think that new records may not be made because of the unbelievably fast times athletes have accomplished. But I personally think technology can change that, as stated in the article “multi-fabric bodysuits. A version introduced in 2002 reduced drag by more than half a second in the 1,000-meter race” Half a second faster than the original time can change everything in the olympics. If new records can’t be made with our raw ability some people might find the olympics less entertaining. I think Technology is the only hope in making us faster and able to set new records.   

The statistics given, that in several sports of the Olympics the progression has seemingly plateaued, brought me to the conclusion that we have indeed reached, "Peak Olympics" It is no wonder new technology has been brought into the varying sports in order to continue advancement. I think athletes should, without a doubt, be able to bring in new technology in order to improve their performance. It keeps a sport interesting, and sets new heights. In the Olympics, I doubt it would give anyone an unfair advantage. Everyone there seems privileged enough to get the same advancements. Although basic advancements should be allowed, some should be prohibited. You shouldn't be able to use any technology that could make any decisions for you, but I know that kind of thing isn't available as of now.

The Olympic athletes have most definitely hit a wall. when the article was talking about how speed skaters had been getting faster and then all the sudden they stopped getting faster. I personally believe the reason we have stopped getting better because humans can only get so strong or so fast until their bodies just will not let them do any better. For example back let's say twenty years ago the Olympians didn't train their whole lives for one event Now don't get me wrong they trained but they did not eat as well or trained as much as athletes do now. This is the case because we know a lot more about our bodies now and that the games themselves have grown way bigger than anyone could have expected.

The Olympic athletes have most definitely hit a wall. when the article was talking about how speed skaters had been getting faster and then all the sudden they stopped getting faster. I personally believe the reason we have stopped getting better because humans can only get so strong or so fast until their bodies just won't let them do any better. For example back let's say twenty years ago the Olympians didn't train their whole lives for one event Now don't get me wrong they trained but they did not eat as well or trained as much as athletes do now. This is the case because we know a lot more about our bodies now and that the games themselves have grown way bigger than anyone could have expected. Now for the technology i feel that it should only be used if everyone else in the sport can have it if they choose. I feel this way because watching the same sport over and over gets a little boring unless there is some change in the sport. This way the sport doesn't lose its wow factor.

The Olympics have definitely hit a wall. In which i use the wall as a running term, the wall is the point to where you have become so exhausted your body kicks in and instinctively starts to burn fat. Crossing the wall is the hardest part, and you have to do it. The Olympics will struggle for a bit but will surly make a rebound and showcase the new generation of athleticism.

Personally, I believe that technology should be used in sports but only to improve the fairness of the game. For example, in the World Cup, they should improve the goal-line techno to truly find out if the soccer ball fully went over the line. The limits of technology in sports should be like athletes using the technology to enhance their skills to outdo their opponent unfairly.

I am partly convinced by the author saying we have reach our peak potential in performance in the Olympics. Now, we are using technology to help reach our truest potential in athletics. When the author states that Denis Yuskov broke the decade old 1500 meter race, this really caught my eye. I think that after many years we can only get so far. I think there is a chance for us to perform better if we use this technology in our sports ( to a certain extent). The 3D printing is a fantastic idea and the skates I think are a great innovation to help out those skating competitively. New technology should be accepted and will still make it fair game as long as we don't "draw the line". I think that enhancement drugs draw the line, it is not good for the player's health and it is not fair to other competitors. I think that technology should make a player flaunt their best attributes rather than making them at a higher skill level with technology.

The “Peak Olympics” have arrived as seen in the graphs depicted in the interactive article. Up until around around 1980 scores in the 800 meter run, high jump, and shot put all improved, until the scores plateaued in 1980. In another graph shown in the interactive article, you can see the male height in the United States showed a significant increase up until 1950. There the heights plateaued, even slightly decreasing in the 90’s. While technology may advance in the future the human performance of the Olympics has reached its peak. I do not think athletes should be allowed to use technology to improve their performance. Once a technology becomes crucial in order to compete at a high level, it then provides wealthier countries an advantage. Once technology provides a substantial advantage, the sport no longer is entirely about human performance and becomes about a factor that does not encourage things like dedication to the sport. Not only does it provide a disadvantage to others currently competing, it diminishes the scores and legacy of past athletes. They need to provide stricter guidelines that stay constant throughout the years so that an scores can be compared to past scores. While some may argue technology improves scores these results are inflated by something that people in the past didn’t have access to. There comes to a point where technology will be providing advantages at a level such as PED’s which are currently disallowed throughout sports.

I believe we have reached "Peak Olympics", especially in some events. Take for example skeleton or most timed events. I’ve witnessed countless runs within milliseconds of each other, making me question the appeal for that sport. Personally, I’m attracted to events where the competition doesn’t come in nitpicky ways, like how well you hugged a turn. I tend to watch the events like hockey, snowboarding, or other events where more grit, emotion, and even flaws are visible to the average viewer. I’d rather see raw athletic ability than reproducible “clones” of the sport. The plateau of times due to human limits could definitely be boosted by new technology. But like before, if you hand the entire human race a task and give them decades to refine and perfect their skills, it will eventually reach a threshold. Adding new tech may stir up the competition for a few Olympic games, but once it becomes mainstream, we’ll eventually run into the same issue. My solution for the Olympics introduces new modifications, or even new events entirely. Why watch the same thing every 4 years when new obstacles and challenges can be created to entertain the audience? Many might argue that changing the games will ruin the careers of athletes and trainers, along with the integrity of the sport. However, the Olympics and any competition for that matter are in the business of entertainment. If you can’t keep viewers glued to the screen, in awe of amazing competition, it’s time to switch it up.

Sports have evolved immensely throughout history, from the earliest Olympic games to the present day sports competitions. These changes are a result of new technologies and advancements without a doubt, although humans have also changed, they have become faster, stronger and taller. It states that the average height of adults has increased throughout the 20th century, this is an advantage and i believe this and advancements in new technologies play a huge role in how sports have changed. Technology is the future of sport i believe, from the past to the present there has been new equipment and tools that have enhanced sports and the way we see them. For example, the multi-fabric body suit from 2002 reduced drag by more than half a second, this was a huge advancement in speed skating, to think the future of body suits could involve 3D printing is incredible to me. I think people should also understand that technology will never stop evolving in sports, For example, newer models are made every year with the latest and greatest from that company, these innovations could make the difference. This topic on technology and sports reminded me of FIFA and their 'goal line technology' in soccer, its used to decide if a goal was called correctly or not, this helped the referees and reduced controversy making the game more fair. Athletes should use technology to improve their performance, i think incorporating it into their training could lead to more plateaus in sports competition.

Sports have been a staple of society for as long as society has existed. The idea of competing against one another is in human nature and does not just stop at physical competition. The issue with technology comes with "Where should you draw the line?" Equipment is the biggest part of sports. You cant play football without a ball and you cant play baseball without a bat. This is where technology stops. The integration of safer equipment and higher quality materials is a staple in the advancement of sports, but this is where you draw the line. Performance enhancing drugs or cheating is not something that should be allowed at all, players who want to become the best they can possibly be should have to put in time and effort to maximize their performance. Their equipment should only enhance them. Like the tools of a surgeon, what really matters is focus. and precision.

I an convinced by the authors that humans have reached a peak in performance ability. As of now, we have not been able to improve ourselves. And as mentioned in the article, we are in a plateau. Therefore, we will not be able to go faster, jump higher, and be more agile unless a new super-material is created, or a massive redesign of skates or suits.

Watching the Olympics for the past week has showed how the difference between 1st and 10th place is sometimes is only 1 second. It seems that the human body has begun to peak in its ability to go faster. According to the data in the article, around 2005, times began to plateau. Times were becoming very similar, and it took a full decade to beat the speed skater record by Denis Yuskov. This shows me that technology needs to be a key part in not only, speed skating, but other sports around the world. A competitors goal is to always become better, faster, and stronger. It seems now a days that the only way athletes can improve is with the implication of technology. Technology will also influence how many people will watch the sport. Viewers don’t want to see the same speed every year, and with the implication of technology, athletes will performing better than ever, giving more awareness to the sport. If the only way that athlete can improve is through technology, then so be it. I just don’t want it to come down to robots playing the sports.

Technology should not be limited in sporting events. Lighter shoes to help athletes run faster or jump higher is a good thing, helping athletes set world records and unbelievable times. Creating sharper blades for skaters to skate faster and grip the ice enables competitors to do the same, set world records and unbelievable times. I think that technology in sports is completely fine. When Mr. Thompson and Miss Ma mention "Researchers have found similar plateaus in the 800-meter run, high jump, shot put and signs of plateauing in many other sports.'", I am not surprised at all. In the past 10-15 years, researches have developed the best there is to enables athletes to do better in there particular sports. Some people need to understand that technology is not the only factor helping athletes set world records or fast times. It is mostly the athletes training and physical ability. When Mr. Thompson and Miss Ma mention "Athletes still set some records, but barely. Last year, the Russian skater Denis Yuskov broke the nearly decade-old 1,500-meter race record, shaving 0.02 seconds off the finishing time.", it does show that there has been a recent plateau for athletes, but I have a feeling that the plateaus will not last for long. Athletes around the world dedicate there lives to a certain sport and train very hard, enough to set new world records in the future.