Advances in training techniques, pool design and swimsuit technology have all contributed to the record breaking times being awarded at the Beijing Olympic Swimming Water Cube. With 8 world records broken in this facility, Jason Lezak not only won the gold medal for the United States, but the US has also shattered the world records by nearly four seconds. What can be contributed to the overall performance of this years Olympians?
Made from Speedo’s own LZR Pulse material, the LZR Racer is the world’s lightest woven swim fabric, contributing to it’s reputation as the fastest suite on the market. It is said that the LZR Racer can boost performance as much as 2%. According to Joseph Ogando, Senior Editor of Design News, “The LZR Racer came out of a development program that seemingly has more in common with aerospace engineering than swim wear design”.
It is also said that Beijing’s Swimming Water Cube is a, “fast pool”. Karen Pickering of the BBC explains, “The Water Cube pool is close to 10 feet deep. That’s 3 feet deeper than the pools of the past. The lane lines that separate swimmers are called wave eaters because they dissipate turbulent water. The goal is to make the water as flat and clear as possible, despite the churning that swimmers create.”
So I ask, are we “technology doping” the sports industry with innovation and exquisite design? Is technology aiding human performance and devaluing our ground breaking records through product development?