Can technology make sports more equal, or does it only widen the gap between competitors?

Competitions should be a measure of physical talent and effort, not about who has access to the most resources. In many recent professional competitions, the subject of technology has been controversial. Technology gives wealthier countries an advantage. They get access to the newest shoes, the newest swimsuit, or anything that gives them a leg up in a race. Some may think that technology alone cannot give you a large benefit when in reality, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. In the 2000 Summer Olympics, an Equatoguinean swimmer named Eric Moussambani gained fame for one main reason: while others trained in professional pools with state of the art technology, Moussambani went to his local pool to train. This pool was only 12 meters long, and he could only practice for one hour each day. Because of this, he had a huge drawback. He swam the longest time ever recorded at an Olympic race. This just proves how technology can affect the way an athlete performs. When we consider technology and resources, it is no longer about how well an athlete can do but rather how much money they have. There is also gear that can shave seconds off your time and completely change the way you perform. In swimming, there is a sharkskin swimsuit that reduces drag and makes you a lot faster. The problem is, they can cost up to $10,000 for one suit. Many athletes cannot make these purchases and because of this, fall behind those who can afford them. This is especially harmful to talented athletes who don’t come from a place of money, isolating them and pushing them out of competitions. Instead, events should be about pure talent, not who has the most money or the latest tech. This way, everyone has a fair chance of winning no matter where they come from. This gives chances to people who are extremely talented but don’t have the proper equipment or facilities. By leveling the playing field, it pushes athletes to work on their actual performance and skill.