Swimmers breaking world records not by tenths of seconds but whole seconds! The new suits have allowed swimmers to improve their times to the point where world records are falling like leaves in autumn, but should athletes be allowed to take advantage of technological advances in sports aids such as suits that reduce drag and improve times when drugs in sport have been so demonised?
Exogenous or endogenous
Australian sportspeople have been outspoken on the issue of using performance enhancing drugs and have promoted themselves as clean mean sports machines, but really what’s the difference between an athlete using drugs or a performance enhancing suit? The fact is wearing a suit that is technological superior to swimming in togs is still performance enhancement, with a subjective spin.
What about flippers?
If a swimmer took to the blocks wearing flippers they would be immediately disqualified, but if they wear a performance-enhancing swimsuit that’s considered OK. Swimmers have adopted the suits with such alacrity it’s no wonder some have no compunction to using drugs.
Hypocrites
Athletes that are quick to embrace and defend the use of performance enhancing technology yet decry those that use performance enhancing drugs, need to step down from their moral high ground, as the competitive edge whether technologically or pharmacologically induced both have the premise to overcome physical limitations that are the difference between winning and losing, a pay packet and a fortune.
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