Is a Technical Swimsuit the Same as Stimulants?
Yuanhui Fu was hurt by the swimsuit by pulling it, because it has little elasticity. The swimsuit worn by Yuanhui Fu is made of a special material called LZR Racer Comprex, which belongs to the Speedo Fast skin shark skin series of professional swimsuits. The fabric can be stretched in one direction, with special flexibility and good squeezing in specific areas. In addition to shaping the body into a streamlined shape to reduce water resistance, the good squeezing of the swimsuit can also reduce the wrinkles on the skin of the athlete due to muscle vibration, which affects the fluidity of the body, and can also reduce ineffective energy consumption and help athletes make full use of explosive power to achieve better results.
However, if the swimsuit is too tight, it will have defects in elasticity. For example, you should have enough patience to "stuff" the athlete's body and muscles little by little in the shark skin when wearing it, and it will bounce if you are not careful. The chest will be flattened.
Is such a high-tech swimsuit suspected of violating regulations? It seems that there is no problem, but the issue of technological changes in swimsuits and other sports equipment has always been controversial in competitive sports. Technological changes in materials, design, and craftsmanship can gradually improve athletes' performance, even reaching incredible levels, which is far beyond the physical and athletic limits of human beings. If such a result is determined, how is it different from doping?
To understand this, one must first clarify the definition of doping and sports aids. Although the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency pointed out that doping refers to the general term for prohibited substances and methods stipulated by international sports organizations, not only referring to substances, but also including prohibited methods and other physiological substances. However, now the international community has a relatively unified understanding of stimulants, that is, artificially synthesized substances and special means aimed at improving physical agility and sports performance except for all sports training and normal nutritional methods. In other words, stimulants are not only drugs and substances, but also external aids that alter an athlete's natural athletic ability.
Exercise ability refers to the working ability or output power ability of the human body during exercise, including energy output ability, neuromuscular ability and psychological ability. The acquisition of athletic ability depends not only on natural physical quality and competitive ability, but also on sports training (sports technology and physical training). At the same time, it is inseparable from auxiliary means, including improving sports technology and developing sports equipment, utilizing athletic strength and psychological means. A technological swimsuit is a kind of sports equipment and equipment, and can significantly improve the ability of athletes and thus improve sports performance. However, there is no unified scientific standard for the extent to which sports equipment can improve athletes' performance to be considered suspected of doping, or even no standard at all. Internationally, there is no uniform understanding of whether sports equipment improves sports performance is considered fraudulent, and there are too many types of competitive sports. It is also very complicated to determine whether the sports equipment of various sports is illegal, for example, the glue for table tennis bats has been a hot topic for a long time.
Despite this, there have been preliminary discussions and clearer boundaries for technical swimsuits. Technological swimsuits that help athletes display their skills to the full as early as the 1980s. In the Seoul Olympics in 1988, the "Hercules" swimsuit used by the US team was the first generation of technological swimsuits, which were made of polyurethane fibers and ultrafine nylon fibers. The weight of the swimsuit was reduced, two-way stretchness, and overall smoothness of the swimsuit is almost perfect. With the help of "Hercules", American swimmer Matt Biondi won 5 golds, 1 silver and 1 bronze, and broke the 50-meter freestyle world record. The US team also broke world records in 4x100m freestyle, medley relay, and 4x200m freestyle relay.
The "fourth generation sharkskin" swimsuit, which is also made of polyurethane, helps to increase buoyancy, reduce friction, and improve swimming speed. This type of swimsuit covers a large area of the athlete's torso and limbs in terms of design. In 2007, after the launch of the LZR Racer series of high-tech swimsuits designed and produced by Speedo, in 17 months, it helped athletes create more than 130 world records, including American athlete Michael Phelps in Seven world records created in the Beijing Olympic Games.
In view of such a large-scale and super-level improvement in swimming performance, FINA has to pay attention to the improper assistance of technological swimsuits. In March 2009, FINA stipulated in the "Dubai Charter" that the thickness, buoyancy and length of technological swimsuits should be restrictive. Since 2010, the polyurethane impermeable material used in swimwear must not exceed 50% of the surface area of the entire swimsuit. However, on July 24, 2009, FINA announced in Rome that the use of polyurethane technology swimsuits would be banned in competitions from 2010. All swimsuits must be made with traditional textiles and must not cover limbs. World records created before the new rules of the year will not be invalidated. FINA's decision believes that polyurethane swimsuits can greatly exceed the boundaries of people's natural athletic ability. The results obtained in this way are like doping, which is false and immoral and against the law and the Olympic spirit.
Now, although the swimsuits worn by Yuanhui Fu and other athletes are no longer made of polyurethane, they are made of special fabrics, which comply with the regulations of FINA. However, if such a swimsuit can also greatly improve the athlete's performance and pose a certain threat to the athlete's safety (hurting the athlete and being too tight), then such a swimsuit may be similar to doping and may be banned again.
However, if the swimsuit is too tight, it will have defects in elasticity. For example, you should have enough patience to "stuff" the athlete's body and muscles little by little in the shark skin when wearing it, and it will bounce if you are not careful. The chest will be flattened.
Is such a high-tech swimsuit suspected of violating regulations? It seems that there is no problem, but the issue of technological changes in swimsuits and other sports equipment has always been controversial in competitive sports. Technological changes in materials, design, and craftsmanship can gradually improve athletes' performance, even reaching incredible levels, which is far beyond the physical and athletic limits of human beings. If such a result is determined, how is it different from doping?
To understand this, one must first clarify the definition of doping and sports aids. Although the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency pointed out that doping refers to the general term for prohibited substances and methods stipulated by international sports organizations, not only referring to substances, but also including prohibited methods and other physiological substances. However, now the international community has a relatively unified understanding of stimulants, that is, artificially synthesized substances and special means aimed at improving physical agility and sports performance except for all sports training and normal nutritional methods. In other words, stimulants are not only drugs and substances, but also external aids that alter an athlete's natural athletic ability.
Exercise ability refers to the working ability or output power ability of the human body during exercise, including energy output ability, neuromuscular ability and psychological ability. The acquisition of athletic ability depends not only on natural physical quality and competitive ability, but also on sports training (sports technology and physical training). At the same time, it is inseparable from auxiliary means, including improving sports technology and developing sports equipment, utilizing athletic strength and psychological means. A technological swimsuit is a kind of sports equipment and equipment, and can significantly improve the ability of athletes and thus improve sports performance. However, there is no unified scientific standard for the extent to which sports equipment can improve athletes' performance to be considered suspected of doping, or even no standard at all. Internationally, there is no uniform understanding of whether sports equipment improves sports performance is considered fraudulent, and there are too many types of competitive sports. It is also very complicated to determine whether the sports equipment of various sports is illegal, for example, the glue for table tennis bats has been a hot topic for a long time.
Despite this, there have been preliminary discussions and clearer boundaries for technical swimsuits. Technological swimsuits that help athletes display their skills to the full as early as the 1980s. In the Seoul Olympics in 1988, the "Hercules" swimsuit used by the US team was the first generation of technological swimsuits, which were made of polyurethane fibers and ultrafine nylon fibers. The weight of the swimsuit was reduced, two-way stretchness, and overall smoothness of the swimsuit is almost perfect. With the help of "Hercules", American swimmer Matt Biondi won 5 golds, 1 silver and 1 bronze, and broke the 50-meter freestyle world record. The US team also broke world records in 4x100m freestyle, medley relay, and 4x200m freestyle relay.
The "fourth generation sharkskin" swimsuit, which is also made of polyurethane, helps to increase buoyancy, reduce friction, and improve swimming speed. This type of swimsuit covers a large area of the athlete's torso and limbs in terms of design. In 2007, after the launch of the LZR Racer series of high-tech swimsuits designed and produced by Speedo, in 17 months, it helped athletes create more than 130 world records, including American athlete Michael Phelps in Seven world records created in the Beijing Olympic Games.
In view of such a large-scale and super-level improvement in swimming performance, FINA has to pay attention to the improper assistance of technological swimsuits. In March 2009, FINA stipulated in the "Dubai Charter" that the thickness, buoyancy and length of technological swimsuits should be restrictive. Since 2010, the polyurethane impermeable material used in swimwear must not exceed 50% of the surface area of the entire swimsuit. However, on July 24, 2009, FINA announced in Rome that the use of polyurethane technology swimsuits would be banned in competitions from 2010. All swimsuits must be made with traditional textiles and must not cover limbs. World records created before the new rules of the year will not be invalidated. FINA's decision believes that polyurethane swimsuits can greatly exceed the boundaries of people's natural athletic ability. The results obtained in this way are like doping, which is false and immoral and against the law and the Olympic spirit.
Now, although the swimsuits worn by Yuanhui Fu and other athletes are no longer made of polyurethane, they are made of special fabrics, which comply with the regulations of FINA. However, if such a swimsuit can also greatly improve the athlete's performance and pose a certain threat to the athlete's safety (hurting the athlete and being too tight), then such a swimsuit may be similar to doping and may be banned again.
