The Speedo LZR Racer Might Make the Olympics Less Interesting
This article is another in my series about game theory in the news.
The big news in swimming is about Speedo’s LZR Racer suit. The suit was introduced in February and its technological superiority is allowing swimmers to break world swimming records. In just two months, almost 20 long-course world marks have been set from swimmers using this suit.
What’s the big difference? Here’s what I gather from the Associated Press. The suit combines a polyurethane layer with normal fabric to improve swimmer buoyancy. Less resistance means faster a swimmer. Speedo calls this “efficiency” while critics call it “technological doping,” as they interpret that only normal fabrics should be allowed.
The legality debate is somewhat moot, as FINA, the international body governing swimming, has approved use of the Speedo LZR Racer. This means that swimmers will be allowed to use it in the Olympics.
Faster times should make for more interesting Olympics, right?
Well, I’m not so sure. Here are a few reasons I’m skeptical.
Winners are Relative, Not Absolute
If the Speedo LZR Racer makes everyone faster, then game theory tells us everyone is likely to get it.
All else equal, this means the suit would only affect the swimming times, but not finishing order. If you were faster than me before, and we both get the suit, you would still be faster than me.
This means the Speedo suit won’t change who gets what medal.
Records are Relative, Not Absolute
Now, you might counter that faster swimming times will be fun to watch. Wouldn’t it be fun to watch all those world records being broken?
Not for me. If everyone gains an advantage, it will cheapen the joy. We’ll all recognize the records are primarily due to technology and not better trained swimmers. It will be harder to compare athletes across generations.
If this story sounds familiar, it’s because it is. This is essentially what happened in baseball with steroids. At first, the “doping” was fun to watch as there were players chasing home run records and higher home run numbers across the board. But we soon became accustomed to the power numbers, and it has put the steroid era in another context.
While the Speedo suit is not technically “doping,” its effect on records will be of a similar flavor.
Due to Sponsorships, Competition Will Be Less Intense!
And there’s the final controversy about the suit: what about the people being sponsored by other brands like TYR, Nike, or Adidas?
These swimmers face a tough choice: uphold the sponsorship and lose speed or adopt Speedo and face penalties.
Faster swimmers are likely to adopt to go for gold. But slower swimmers might not. After weighing the risks, they might think the costs of switching are not worth it. These swimmers will be at a competitive disadvantage.
This means the slower swimmers will seem even worse than before. Thus, the field will be more dispersed and competition will be less intense. I can’t see how that will help the Olympics.
What are your thoughts?
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7 Responses to “The Speedo LZR Racer Might Make the Olympics Less Interesting”
The sad part for the athletes is that while the science of swimming has improved, the art of swimming is disappearing. Just to be gender fair, no matter if the athletes are men or women, they are not appealing to watch in their Speedo LZR suits. They become robots in their techno-swimsuits. The beauty of the sport is lost. If one wishes to extend your game theory, while the swim times may improve, the public appeal of watching swimming will go down because of the androgynous LZR swimsuits. The athletes lose in the long run.
By Mé on Apr 13, 2008
I don’t think anyone cares about the Olympics any more than their neighbor kid’s soccer league. It’s all about human beings seeing how much they can debase themselves more than anyone else.
The era of admiring athleticism is gone.
By Michael O'Shaughnessy on Apr 13, 2008
Mé: I’m not against technology per se, but I like the way you put it: “They become robots in their techno-swimsuits. The beauty of the sport is lost.”
You make a very good point the sport should care about long term profits. And for many individual sports, one important factor in that is sex appeal.
Michael O’Shaughnessy: I laughed out loud when I read this part since I sort of agree: “I don’t think anyone cares about the Olympics any more than their neighbor kid’s soccer league.”
But I can’t completely agree since I always get caught up in the coverage and watch much more than I expect I will. I can’t say why exactly, but I find the Olympics fairly entertaining.
By Presh Talwalkar on Apr 13, 2008
I agree with Mé, we need to bring back the all-naked Olympics, which is how the games ORIGINALLY were.
Only then will it be a true test of ability.
By RohoMech on Apr 14, 2008
RohoMech: True, that is how the original Olympics were.
By Presh Talwalkar on Apr 14, 2008
As a former swimmer myself, I can see what the appeal is with the faster suits. When you are in the sport it really is you against the clock and if you can swim even one second faster you feel invincible. However, I think that the sport is starting to lose its appeal. Everyone should have the same competitive edge, not matter what country you come from. This is true athleticism. Look at Mark Spitz, he didn’t even wear goggles and he is a legend!!! I think they need something to keep people interested in watching the sport because sitting at swim comp is pretty BORING!! Pretty soon they will allow people to wear flippers!!
By flygirl on Jul 28, 2008
Flygirl: Excellent point. Sport revenues depend as much on aesthetics as they do on competitiveness. In other words, Sex sells. They should consider long-term profits and not just breaking a records when making the decision on the new Speedo suit.
By Presh Talwalkar on Jul 29, 2008