Our world strives to innovate and to head towards a better future. Sometimes, the future we are heading towards seems bleak with all the talks of global warming and climate change, but we have to strive nonetheless. Every sport has been changed thanks to technology. Some sports were slow to adopt certain technologies while others were more than happy to hop aboard the tech train.
Swimming has accepted change with open arms, given that innovation often benefits the athletes and the sport. Now, imagine betting on a swimmer winning a race because they wore a different suit than their competitor. That would be outrageous. Too bad that there aren’t any such bets. There are plenty of bets on swimming, however, and it gets especially good if you have a promotion code like this bet9ja promotion code.
While you might not get to bet on swimmers winning because they wear different gear, the world of swimming was impacted by technology. Here are the most impactful innovations.
Swimming Suits
These have by far been the most impactful on the performance of athletes and on the records being broken. Swimming suits have changed over the decades, especially the materials being used on them. The greatest breakthrough was most likely the one which Speedo made, when they developed the LZR, a full-body suit from a material which is called Fastskin. It is a biomimetic material which is based on shark skin. It mimics what sharks have on their skin which is supposed to decrease drag compared to human skin.
When these suits debuted in 2008 at the Beijing Olympic Games, they were responsible for 94% of races won and 98% of records being broken. It had gone so far that swimmers were wearing two suits to maximize their speed and reduce drag the most. Following those record brakes, FINA banned full body suits. Regardless, such an invention is helpful to all swimmers, not just Olympic ones.
Underwater Video Cameras
These have been around for a while, but it took a longer while for them to make it into the mainstream world of swimming. Nowadays, any athlete working for a better team and with a decent coach can see videos of themselves performing. This is great because people learn best on three levels, auditory, visual or kinesthetic. The visual impact should not be understated, which is why these underwater cameras help a lot. They can clearly show you what you are doing underwater, meaning that some flaws could be discovered, which the coach cannot otherwise see.
Data Access
What coaches also love is data. Compared to running apps and accessories, swimming accessories need to monitor for other forms of movement, which are not really similar to running. This is why special watches were developed, which can gather and transmit data about your swimming to a phone or tablet, making things a lot easier.
Technology, like in all sports, has helped swimming go forward. It is best to have it balanced enough so that it doesn’t take the swimmer out of the question.