![]() ![]() However, there have been some recent concerns that the design of Nike’s Alphafly or Vaporfly shoes could be considered too advantageous or could be considered unfair. As a result, the innovation, design and application of technology used in competitive sport are of paramount importance to athletes looking to optimise their best possible performance in the future. This implementation of new sports technology has seen a significant impact in cycling, the 100-m sprint and the javelin as well as the pole vault, long jump, high jump, triple jump, amputee sprinting and swimming. To counter this, it has been proposed that any significant gains in performance sport in the future will be as a result of technical or technological innovation. These increases could be seen as unusual when it is considered it has been proposed that sports performance will eventually indicate a reducing or plateaued nature in their rate of improvement. Additionally, in 2018, runners wearing the Nike Vaporfly 4% running shoe broke world records in the 100-km, marathon, half marathon and 15-km running distances. However, since then, the maximum projections in that study have already been exceeded by official records by circa 2 min and nearly by 4 if the illegitimate Ineos project was eligible to be included. Ī previous study has attempted to predict the probable limits of the men’s marathon record. She achieved this record when wearing a pair of the Vaporfly NEXT%. ![]() Likewise, during the same month, Brigid Kosgei broke the women’s world record in the marathon by completing the distance in 2:14:04. Notably, Kipchoge was wearing a pair of prototype Nike running shoes that were similar to the Nike ‘Vaporfly Next%’ shoes that he had when competing before. The Ineos project attempt was not recognised as a legal world record due to the event conditions it was held under and the nutritional, aerodynamic and pacing assistance that Kipchoge received. This attempt was known as the Ineos 1:59 Challenge. In October 2019, Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge became the first runner to complete the 26.2-mile marathon running distance in under 2 h. The sport will need to adopt a stance of ongoing vigilance as such technologies continue to develop or be optimised in the future. However, the alleged gains have not manifested themselves to a level that could be considered excessive when reviewing historical performances or when evaluated against a set of well-cited criteria. The Nike Vaporfly/Alphafly shoes do push the perceived acceptability of running shoes to the limits of the current sports regulations. As a result, it is proposed that these running shoes are acceptable forms of technology but that ongoing vigilance will be required as such technologies develop further in the future. It is proposed that the three concerns regarding cost, access and coercion cannot be ruled out but likely remain short-term issues. This paper evaluates the use of these shoes against an existing framework for sports technology discourse and adopts a pragmatic approach to attempt to resolve them. Recently, the Nike Vaporfly and Alphafly shoes have received some concerns over their appropriateness for use in competitive distance running. ![]() On occasion, some forms of novel technology require regulation or prevention entirely to ensure that a sport remains fair and accessible. Technology is often introduced into sport to facilitate it or to improve human performance within it. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |