New technology is creating an uneven playing field in athletics
The second week of the Paris Olympics will be all about athletics. Over the coming days, more than a thousand athletes will go toe to toe in the hopes of being crowned the fastest runner over distances that range from 100 metres to the marathon. But there’s a problem: thanks to so-called “super shoes”, we may not know if the person who crosses the line first really is the fastest runner in the truest sense of the word.
In races that are typically decided by much less than half a percentage point, that can be the difference between gold medal and also-ran. This variation in the advantage conferred by the shoes is akin to a new F1 racing car that is able to help left-handed people drive faster while slowing down right-handed drivers. A key aspect of the boost that super shoes provide comes from the way in which they absorb and return energy from each stride, effectively putting a spring in the runner’s step.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Olympic swimming: France's Leon Marchand wins 400m medley gold in Olympic record timeFrance's Leon Marchand dominates the 400m individual medley to win gold in a new Olympic record time.
Read more »
Olympic swimming: France's Leon Marchand wins 400m medley gold in Olympic record timeFrance's Leon Marchand dominates the 400m individual medley to win gold in a new Olympic record time.
Read more »
Olympic swimming: Adam Peaty departs content on night of pure Olympic emotionAdam Peaty is denied in his bid for gold but, on a night of pure Olympic emotion, departs content after the dark places he has been.
Read more »
Record-breaking Olympic swimmer couldn't actually swim before entering the Olympic GamesThe swimmer unexpectedly created Olympic Games history.
Read more »
Olympic diver Jessica Parratto gives us a tour of her New Hampshire hometownJessica Parratto from Dover, New Hampshire gave NBC a tour of her hometown.
Read more »
Olympic basketball: Luol Deng sees South Sudan forging 'new story'South Sudan is using basketball to forge a new identity for a country whose early history was defined by war, says Luol Deng.
Read more »