Olympic Record Breakthrough Depends on 'Cutting-Edge Technology' [Paris Olympics]

Cutting-Edge Technology of Sports Equipment Company That Changed the Olympics
'Carbon Fiber Plate' Running Shoes That Sparked Technology Doping Controversy
The Fate of Full-Body Swimsuits That Broke Records 108 Times

The Olympics is a battlefield where fierce competition unfolds between countries and athletes. The most crucial factor on the front lines is the athlete's skill. However, sports equipment using advanced technology also greatly influences the outcome. From the perspective of sports equipment companies, it is like a global technology war every four years.

Benson Kipruto (33, Kenya) participated in the Tokyo Marathon last March wearing Adidas's ultra-light running shoes, the 'Adizero Adios Pro EVO1,' and crossed the finish line in 2 hours 2 minutes 16 seconds.
[Photo by Adidas]

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics athletics events, new records poured in, prompting the media to analyze the causes. First, Marcel Jacobs of the Italian national team, who became the 100m champion in his first Olympics after the retirement of 'the greatest sprinter in history' Usain Bolt, broke the European record with a time of 9.80 seconds and took first place.

The meteoric rise of this unknown athlete seemed to establish a success story. However, soon suspicions arose that his record was due not to skill but to new technology. The shoes he wore in the race were Nike's carbon fiber sneakers called the 'ZoomX Dragonfly,' also known as 'magic shoes.'

These shoes, with soles made of carbon fiber plates, weigh about the same as regular sneakers but provide spring-like propulsion that bounces when running and also act as a lever. A research team led by Professor Wouter Hoogkamer from the Department of Exercise Physiology at the University of Massachusetts announced that running in shoes with carbon fiber plates reduces overall energy expenditure by 4% compared to running in regular sneakers.

World Athletics has introduced new regulations restricting the use of prototype shoes amid ongoing controversies over technological doping. The photo shows Kipchoge running in Nike's ZoomX Dragonfly. Photo by Yonhap News.

At the Tokyo Marathon last March, Benson Kipruto (33, Kenya), who crossed the finish line in 2 hours 2 minutes 16 seconds, competed wearing Adidas's ultra-light running shoes 'Adizero Adios Pro EVO1.' These shoes weigh 138g, 40% lighter than regular shoes for men's size 270mm. They drastically reduce weight by using mesh materials and lightweight uppers while stabilizing the outsole, earning the reputation as 'the lightest running shoes in history.'

Earlier, Kenya's national hero Eliud Kipchoge (40) wore Nike's specially made ZoomX Vaporfly when he achieved the first-ever full marathon under two hours at a marathon event held in Austria in October 2019. The event was unofficial and not officially recognized. This next-generation running shoe added a carbon fiber plate to the heel part of the existing ZoomX Vaporfly, which acted as a spring. Sports scientist Ross Tucker pointed out that these shoes provide an effect equivalent to running downhill at a 1-1.5% gradient on flat ground. Experts analyzed that Kipchoge's Vaporfly contained three carbon fiber plates in the heel.

Marcel Jacobs of Italy (right) was the first to cross the finish line in 9.80 seconds in the men's 100m final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium. On the left is Freddy Curley of the United States, who won the silver medal. Both athletes are wearing Nike's 'ZoomX Dragonfly' spikes.
[Photo by AFP, Tokyo]

As controversy over 'technological doping' surrounding sneakers arose, World Athletics announced new official competition shoe regulations, stating that 'shoes made exclusively for specific athletes cannot be used in official competitions.' Although product names were not mentioned, this clause prohibits shoes made solely for Kipchoge. However, it added that 'products must be available for purchase by everyone,' allowing the ZoomX Vaporfly, which was the prototype for Kipchoge's shoes, to be used. Additionally, the federation regulated that 'the sole thickness must be 40mm or less, and only one carbon fiber plate is allowed,' imposing restrictions on shoes that act like springs.

Kipchoge, aiming for the first-ever marathon three-peat, is expected to compete in the Paris Olympics wearing Nike's Alphafly 3. The Alphafly 3 is the model worn by Kelvin Kiptum, who broke the 2-hour 1-minute barrier and set a world record at the Chicago Marathon last October. Kiptum passed away in a traffic accident in February. The world's top female marathoner Tigist Assefa (28, Ethiopia) and Perez Jepchirchir (31, Kenya), who is challenging for a second consecutive Olympic gold, will wear Adidas's Adizero Adios Pro EVO1 and once again hunt for medals.

Swimming is another sport where technological doping controversies have arisen. The full-body swimsuit 'LZR Racer' unveiled by Speedo in 2008 instantly turned athletes into super heroes. Many athletes wore full-body suits made of materials that not only reduced water resistance but also provided additional buoyancy and jumped into the water. Speedo's own research showed that compared to previous generation swimsuits, resistance was reduced by 24% and swimming efficiency increased by 5%. Competitors all released polyurethane full-body swimsuits, and as everyone wore full-body suits in competitions, a total of 108 world records were set in 2008 alone.

The scene where Speedo unveiled the Laser Racer in 2008. Michael Phelps is posing in the center.
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

As controversy continued, the International Swimming Federation banned the use of full-body swimsuits and 100% polyurethane swimsuits in competitions in 2010. Although full-body swimsuits will not be seen at this Paris Olympics, Speedo introduced 'LZR Intent 2.0' and 'LZR Valor 2.0,' which apply new technology. These swimsuits use coating technology employed to protect satellites in space, providing excellent water repellency and enhancing swimmer speed underwater, according to Speedo. Competitor TYR unveiled its own technology suit, TYR Venzo, featuring frictionless and surface lift technology, as the official uniform for the U.S. swimming national team at the Paris Olympics.

Korean archery is recognized as number one in the world not only in competition but also in industry. When An San (23) and Kim Je-deok (20), the triple gold medalists in archery at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, hit the golden targets, the bows they held were all products of the domestic company Win&Win. Win&Win boasts a 60% share of the global archery market and 80% of the Korean archery market. Most top-ranking athletes at the Olympics can be seen using Win&Win products on broadcast screens during competitions. Park Kyung-rae, CEO of Win&Win and former national archery team member, led the men's and women's team events to victory at the 1985 World Championships, 1986 Asian Games, 1988 Seoul Olympics, and 1991 World Championships as a coach and director after retiring.

The youngest duo of the national archery team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Kim Je-deok and An San, both used Win&Win bows.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

He revealed that during his time as director, he engaged in unseen battles with foreign bow manufacturers and, seeing younger archers suffer, decided to start a business to provide the best bows made entirely with domestic technology. Win&Win's bows shoot arrows faster than competitors' products, create accurate shot groups, and even correct athletes' mistakes. They use the 'dream material' graphene to minimize vibration. It is evaluated to have over 40% higher shock absorption than conventional carbon materials. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, all Japanese national archery team members used Win&Win products, drawing attention.