Quote:
Originally Posted by yellowmac
On the technology point, I've actually been wondering about this myself. Yes, a lot of people wore those Speedo LZR magic suits that helped break records... how much technological innovation has taken place on the track? Clearly there hasn't been a wardrobe change, so what else has taken place? Better shoes? Better track? I heard one of the commentators say something about Beijing having a "fast track"... what does that mean? Bouncier rubber in the tracks or something? I guess what I'm wondering is how much of the evolution in the world record time is from technology, and how much is it from sheer human physiological evolution?
Also, I counter your Spitz and Thorpe argument with the fact that Carl Lewis in '84 did similar things, winning the 100, 200, 4x100, and the long jump, to boot.
Interesting debate. I do hope that Phelps and Bolt have restored the luster of the Olympics globally. They've done the job for me personally, as I found '08 to be much more captivating than '04 or '00.
|
I think the difference re the track versus the pool technology is easy to assess. Vast numbers of swim records were rewritten these games. Even guys finishing 2nd or 3rd were breaking the old world records.
On the track, 3 world records were set - all by Usain Bolt and no one got close to him. So while the track may be fast, unlike in the pool, the technology involved does not appear to have influenced record setting greatly overall.
And yes, Lewis did win 4 golds in 84 - a massive achievement - but he did not set 3 world records while doing so, so I do think Bolt's achievement is on a slightly higher level!
I agree with your last point, there were a lot of great points of interest in the Games even beyond Phelps and Bolt.