What is technology doping ? 

Technology doping as the words suggest, means to utilize technological advancements to gain unfair advantage or edge.  Such competitive advantage using sports equipments not only creates an unfair upper hand but also lowers the integrity and spirit of sports. The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) prohibits any technology that is ‘performance enhancing’ in nature or ‘against the spirit of sport’ and recognizes technological doping as a threat.

While technological advancements are needful and inescapable, they are still required to meet certain obligations to maintain the sanctity of competitive sports.  The WADA has however, handed over the control to the self governing sporting bodies to decide the fate of any new technology and declare them as acceptable or not. Technological advancement like any other innovation must fulfill the improvement in the sport and ensure more safety and efficacy.

The Nike Vaporfly 4% in recent years had come under a lot of speculation. The 4% suggested the gain of advantage any runner would have in his performance. “Both independent and Nike-sponsored studies have confirmed that the shoes increase athletes' energetic efficiency by 4% or more, which yields significant dividends in marathon-length distances” [1]This was said to be the result of  using Pebax, a new form of foam that is about 87 percent effective as against previously used foam. The carbon-fiber plate aids in the instant compression and expansion of Pebax foam.

Similarly, in 2008, upon its launch, swimmer wearing LZR Racer had set 62 world records (as of August 14, 2008). Except for one, all of the swimmers who set new records in Beijing had worn the LZR Racer swimsuit. The suit, as reported by Speedo, reduces lag, or water resistance by 38% when compared to a standard LYCRA suit. Swimmers benefit from a 4% increase in speed as a result of the drag reduction. FINA deemed them to provide an unfair advantage to the wearer, resulting in a ban on all swimsuits of similar nature. The suits were discontinued after the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Another form of technological doping is known as Mechanical/Motor doping. Motor doping, is a form of cheating that involves the use of a hidden motor to assist in the propulsion of a racing bicycle. Both technological doping and mechanical doping are analogs to the well know Doping of prohibited substances by sportspeople as punishable by WADA and other regulatory bodies. One such incident which stormed the social media was that of Fabian Cancellara, nicknamed "Spartacus", a Swiss former professional road bicycle racer. After he surpassed Tom Boonen, a Belgian former road bicycle racer, on the steepest section of the Kapelmuur in the Tour of Flanders ,suspicions of mechanical doping arose. The spectators were stunned at his speed and allegations regarding the same were declined by him rather aggressively.

Such data begs to question the parity between the world records broken in modern times as against those made by legends of the past. On what basis shall this comparison be drawn and if done so, will the findings be fair and accurate? It is however certain that advancement in sporting equipment is not the only determining factor when it comes to establishing merit and talent. Innovation intends to produce a new idea or product to optimize and improve an already existing practice or product. Determination of such innovation to be unfair in the field of sport is now extremely difficult to substantiate and stands in the need of constant examination.