Scientist argues for Olympic technology boost
Olympic athletes should be allowed to use new technology to boost their performances, according to University of the Sunshine Coast health and sport scientist Associate Professor Brendan Burkett.
Dr Burkett, a four-time Paralympic swimmer and world record holder, will present this argument when he addresses a special pre-Olympic convention of sport scientists and medical experts in China, starting on 30 July.
The 2008 International Convention of Science Education and Medicine in Sport will feature speakers from many of the world’s powerhouse sporting countries including the United States, Germany, China, France and the United Kingdom.
Dr Burkett is one of two Australian academics who will speak at the 10-day conference in Guangzhou.
The USC biomechanist said introducing new technology to aid sporting performance was often controversial, with plenty of attention focussed on items like full-body swimsuits and aerodynamically-designed bicycles at recent Olympics.
“The question of whether it is ethical to use technology in sport is a pretty interesting debate,” Dr Burkett said.
“The International Olympic Committee rulings on it are to do with whether the technology is acceptable and whether it is available to athletes in other countries. For instance, is it biased to only those who can afford it, especially those from Western countries?
“But if you don’t let technological advances go ahead in sport, you stifle sport. It needs to be encouraged.
“The advances that can occur at an Olympic level can then be rolled out to the general community through the development of things like better-designed bicycles or better and more comfortable running shoes.”
Dr Burkett also will present a second report at the conference in conjunction with colleagues from the German Sports University. This report will outline how effectively a player tracking system assessed the performance of competitors at the recent Wheelchair Rugby World Championships in the United States.
After the conference, Dr Burkett will briefly return to Australia before heading back to China with the Australian Paralympic team as its Sports Science Coordinator.
During the Olympics, Dr Burkett also will collect data for an IOC-approved research project into the performances of athletes in hand cycling and wheelchair rugby.
— Terry Walsh