Technology is changing lives and making things easier as we have seen with Formula One as they are at the pinnacle of motor sport. Sport needs innovation and to always keep on moving forward bettering performances but what about athletes? In the past we had many athletes who ran barefoot especially in the steeplechase and yet they still managed to win against others wearing high tech footwear. This latest trend is somewhat different however as there is hidden technology which enhances the performance.
A number of World records were broken at the recently held World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. So many that former great and world record holder Michael Johnson asked if the timing system was working correctly.
World Records Broken at the Oregon World Championships.
Marathon, 2:05:36, Tamirat Tola (ETH)
400 m hurdles, 46.29, Alison dos Santos (BRA)
Shot put, 22.94 m, Ryan Crouser (USA)
Discus throw, 71.13 m, Kristjan Čeh (SLO)
100 m, 10.67 (+0.8 m/s), Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM)
200 m, 21.45 (+0.6 m/s), Shericka Jackson (JAM)
400 m hurdles, 50.68 WR, Sydney McLaughlin (USA)
3000 m, steeplechase, 8:53.02, Norah Jeruto (KAZ)
Marathon, 2:18:11, Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH)
35 km walk, (road), 2:39:16, Kimberly García (PER)
3 hurdles world records in one championship?
The track records that were broken had something in common and they were all using the latest footwear which is still not breaking any rules currently. The rules state that sprinting spikes can have soles no thicker than 20mm which is the same as the Adidas Adizero Avanti running shoes.
The Nigerian runner Tobi Amusan who managed to break the 100m Hurdles world record used this running shoe as she injured her foot earlier in the season and this has a more springy cushion was her reasoning. This shoe is designed for the longer distance athlete as it is advertised as "provide a snappy, propulsive ride with high traction and reduce fatigue, so you finish 5km and 10km races with a kick." source
Looks like a high end running shoe but wait to see what they advertise as the offering.
Soft and Responsive Lightstrike Pro midsole
Anatomical EnergyRods for propulsion (EnergyRods that follow along a runner's metatarsals, creating a naturally snappy feel)
Ultra-thin race-ready upper
What is interesting to note is the 100m and 400 m hurdle records were broken using similar types of technology even though they were different brands. Any advantage gained especially in a race that requires jumping combining a springy sole has to be beneficial.
Are these like mini blades like the disabled athletes use?
Back in 2020 research was done on some new technology spring sole loaded footwear with some alarming results. Originally being developed for ultra distant athletes allowing for less fatigue due to having a springy response these shoes are moving with technology far quicker than first thought.
The US Military has been working on specialised footwear which would make them the fastest army in the world and why not use it if it is available? The shoes being tested were not the same as what we have witnessed with the records that were broken, but who is to say that this technology is not creeping into the footwear as it has to. Anatomical Energy Rods sounds like something more than just support and comfort.
The test looked at the speed of Usain Bolt and the human running action using an exoskeleton. During the running action the leg only supplies 20% of the energy when it hits the ground and adding a spring sole would increase that energy by another 76% or 3.8 x more.
What this actually means is the Usain Bolt could run at 20.9 m/second instead of 12.3m/second. The technology has been developed and is still being worked on but when you see Anatomical (carbon) energy rods built inside of the shoes to help propulsion you do start to worry where this is going.
We have seen it in other sports like golf where balls have to be of normal spec along with the golf clubs. Holes have had to be lengthened as the modern payer just hits the ball that much further. The Tour de France has issues with doping and possibly mechanised bicycles to deal with so what is stopping athletes gaining an advantage through footwear. If the technology is there people are going to use it and it will kind of make a joke of all past records making them seem meaningless.
I am all for sports science developing the human body in ways we haven't seen before through nutrition and exercise as that is definitely going to make a difference. Records are going to be beaten but we want them to be beaten on ability and not from outside influence. I suppose it will happen
as the technology used back in the 60's and 70's had nothing on the 80's and 90s and the same is applied to today.
I am on the fence with this as I don't watch athletics and don't know these athletes so who is to say they wouldn't have broken the records anyway. I do think the International Athletics body has to keep a close watch on this as the next Olympics could be more about the shoe than the athlete which would be unfair.