RA propositions - Ian Francis Mr Calvey WRT 102-65 RA Topic Proposal i Mechanical doping in sports a There have been many tremendous leaps in the realm

Ian Francis Mr. Calvey WRT 102-65 3-19-09 RA Topic Proposal i. Mechanical doping in sports a. There have been many tremendous leaps in the realm of sport science. These have come both with sports specifically in mind and with the application of technology from other industries to sports. In the past decade we have seen the creation of a series of swimsuits that mold an athlete’s body to the perfect aqua-dynamic form while having a drag coefficient that is significantly lower than skin. Time trial bicycles have gone from indistinguishable from any other bike to being wind tunnel tested by NASA. These are just two examples of many from a variety of sports. The question is where do we draw the line? Alternately where does the progression of technology represent a departure from the spirit of sports? b. Right now I plan on arguing against the use of these mechanical advantages. I plan on arguing that they betray the true spirit of sports. Athletic competition is about the comparison of the physical ability of a group of individuals. These