Are tech-driven records as meaningful?
Discussion statements | This is for ages 14 to 16
Technology has changed how athletes train, prepare and compete, from advanced equipment to data-led coaching.
Do you agree or disagree with the statement below? Explain why.
"New equipment and training technology help athletes break records, which makes new sporting records less impressive."
Tell us what you think
You might want to structure your response like this:
I [agree/disagree] with this statement because [your reason]. Another reason for my view is [a second reason or example]. However, others might feel that [an opposite view].
Have a look at what other Topical Talkers have to say, tell them whether you agree or disagree with their views.
Comments (58)
I very much disagree with this statement. I believe that using new equipment and training technology to break records is also an impressive feat. I understand that some people may think that it is unfair for the previous athletes who set their records who didn't have equipment as advanced as today. But this doesn't mean those records set by athletes using modern technology is not as impressive.
Using technology for training doesn't mean the athletes don't have to work as hard as before. The modern tools is just there to push the athletes' limits and to reach a higher athletic ability. If a professional ski jumper used sensors to monitor data from their muscles and use that data to make a more effective training routine does that mean the ski jumper can instantly jump further? No, they would have to keep training and building their athletic ability using the data and assistance provided by the sensors. And that still takes a lot of time and effort to succeed.
Most training technology is to maximize the effect from an athlete's training so that the athlete can reach a higher level or achievement. More modern sports equipment can lower the chance of danger or injury pushing the athlete to go further in their athletic ability.
Records are set to be broken. If you set a record and nobody expects it to be broken, then what is the purpose. Athletes always work to push themselves above the other athletes and the new tool for doing that can be technology. So if a human can use technology to upgrade their physical ability and break new records, that is still very impressive.
I agree with tis statement as well, technology has made a great advancement in the world of sport today, it has brought wearable sensors and GPS trackers for coaches to see the state of their athletes(like heartrate, stress and fatigue), it has also brought VR experiences for athletes to train in a simulated world so that they may see what they can expect during the game, it can also prepare them mentally for what may happen, and some equipment they use an even locate areas of possible injuries, tat is why AI and technology has really improved the world today, not just in sports but in multiple aspects.
Hi dynamic_turbine! You have an amazing point but I'm not sure about this because... in my personal opinion, I think victory is just hollow when you do it the easy way. But back in the days when there was no tech, there's a feeling of joy and accomplishment when you actually win by your own blood and sweat (metaphorically speaking), when you actually work very hard and get rewarded in the end. I also totally agree with you when you said it can improve their performance, I think it's cool too, but then again, some athletes, not all might get too used too doing things the easy way using tech and might eventually grow lazy and makes them to perform poorly.
I agree with you. Technology makes records fall by the invention of tools that support abilities of individuals. It turns tiny improvements into big achievements. Basically, tech has improved the way records are broken by enhancing human capabilities through training. For example, advanced shoes have helped athletes with stamina and all of the physical qualities associated with running.
Although technology has its disadvantages, it still makes world records impressive as long as it's used in the right way and manner. By combining technology with hard work and determination, records would be broken and impressive records would be set.
I have to agree with you, dynamic_turbine, because records are there to recognize a feat that no one has done, or breaking one. Technology aids the game, not changes it; sport focuses on physicality, skill, and other individual factors, so for one to focus and be determined enough to improve and eventually break or set new records is still very much impressive and as meaningful as one's achievements without technology.
I sincerely agree with you dynamic_turbine that modern sports equipment can lower the chance of danger and injury and also helps athletes to be better at their ability, and yes, like you said, using modern technology does not mean that the athletes don't have to work as hard as before but it is there to push athletes to reach a better athletic part of themselves like Ronaldinho the footballer, during his time at Barcelona, teammates and coaches reported that Ronaldinho would often skip practice and training because he thought that he did not need modern technology and relied only on his natural skills and ability which made him decline from the worlds best player. : )
I disagree with this statement because, in my personal view, breaking records was influenced by the way people strove and worked hard to reach those feats and break the records.
And the happiness when those records were broken has been interfered with due to the use of technology.
Others may disagree because that was a lot of stress.
I can agree to this statement because, in as much as tech has helped with improving the performance of sports, most feats now claimed by athletes have the tech factor in them, in the sense that technology has allowed them to surpass their natural limits, which can be seen as a form of doping. from swimming to track and field events, research has shown that tech like full body swimsuits, shoes with specialised foam and many other forms have allowed athletes to overcome the natural factor, ruling out the part of sports meant to push them to their limits. as a result, record breaking has been influenced more by technological changes than actual effort, which is a shame. if tech is to have any role to play in sports, it should be minimal, so as to prevent it from interfering with the overall performance of sportsmen, ruling out the effort put in by them to succeed and surpass others.
I disagree because with your post I believe technology is now a major building block in modern sports. Technology in general is used to ease work flow, reduce stress and even to increase efficiency so why should sports be exempted from the use of technology? Big tech companies like Apple, Samsung, and even Google are all investing a lot of the money in the production of sport gadgets just to improve efficiency and performance. Some may say that sports technology is only limited to training gadgets but technology in sports is way more diverse. Top fitness brands like Whoop, Fitbit and Garmin create wearable not only to aid performance but to also track stress rates of athletes, track athletes' eating habits and and even how they sleep moreover, companies like Nike have been involved in series of researches with the use of technology to enhance athletes' performance so in essence, I believe technology driven records are very meaningful and impressive.
Hi topical talkers. Recent technologies aid a lot of upcoming athletes in making "the grind" less stressful and also making past records way easier to beat. Present day technology helps in many ways such as precise training, based on analysis which is done by recent technological devices. Such technological devices also help athletes to train adequately knowing their particular strengths and weaknesses. Technology has also made it possible to achieve quicker recovery and even better understanding of the human body which could help one maximize what they are capable of. In conclusion, we can't say that present day tech driven records could be compared to records set without the use of tech, as we can never tell what past athletes could have done if they were also granted the privilege to use the kind technology that we have today.
I do not agree with the view that new technology and training equipment make new records. Records are still set through hard work, discipline, and talent. The problem is in the area of fairness. If technology is not used equally or openly, it can lead to an unfair advantage. For instance, if two people have the same strength and talent, but one of them uses hidden or advanced technology that gives them an edge, it may not be detected by the judges. This can lead to unfair marking and penalize the honest player. In this case, it is not the record that becomes less impressive, but the sport itself. Technology that affects fair play can also mar game strategy and the spirit of sportsmanship.
I disagree with this statement because no matter the mode of technology it is still normal human beings who play the sport and that will not change for maybe another thousand years so no matter what all a person needs is courage, determination, and skill.
THANK YOU
I strongly disagree with the statement. Records have always been at the heart of sports, despite the way an athlete may have trained to break the record. New equipment and training technology only helps athletes to train smarter and limit themselves relative to what their bodies can handle. A record is a great way to push athletes, and help them to become the better versions of themselves. A record cannot only be defined by the way an athlete trains, rather it is defined by the story behind that record. Records are usually fueled by passion and determination, and no gear or technology, no matter how much it helps an athlete, can ever replace the driving force of emotion. Every record has a story to it, and that is what impresses the fans. The fact that someone uses a high technology training facility doesn't matter. The moment created when breaking a record, alongside the years of trial and error are what makes record important to fans. In despite of not having good training facilities and gears, some individuals still break records. From my research I found a woman, Sonja Heine who skated on heavy leather boots and basic blades, she had no off ice conditioning and no knowledge of sports science, but she won the figure skating gold medals, for three(3) consecutive years, and it was said that she skated like a ballet. Records like these are what touch the heart of fans and make sports inspirational to all. So no a record is not at all less impressive when a person trains with better gear and equipment.
I agree with you because of the fact that records are unforgettable as long as they are unbroken like sprinting records which still remain the same until another person can break the record. Let me combine the future and the past in the sense that the first record was set by someone whose feat was absolutely outstanding and was remembered because of this feat even after retirement. The record was then broken by another till the present day records we have, many people have the aim in sports to be regarded and seen as the best by their records or should I say, history. An athlete can have the best technological equipment in the entire world but not even win, the only way to me that this athlete can be inspired to use this equipment properly is through records, these records are even the factors that brought about technology used for the training.
If there was no record, sports competitions may be extinct as there is no drive to be the best, and technology is the act of using scientific methods to solve problems and in this case the problem of the athlete is to win and break records, which is why the athlete may ask himself or herself "HOW CAN I BEAT THIS FEAT ACHIEVED BY THIS OTHER ATHLETE?", which brought about the use of technology into sports. This is why I am in total agreement with you.
In conclusion, I believe that in all due respect, the desire to win made the invention of tech based training in sports as is by no means making tech-driven sports records unimpressive. I am open to more views and enlightenment from other talkers.
THANK YOU.
I disagree with this statement because records are there in the first place to recognize someone's work or drive in a particular field. Technology really might not have anything to do with technology, see the Ballon D'or prize as an example, the current holder Ousmane Dembele was never seen to win the prize because of previous form and inconsistency, but to show that these sports records and achievements are totally about the grind and hard work, he fought back to the top and showed his work for a full year, technology really does not play a part in game, if technology helped train or impose more fitness, I believe our era has this covered in all aspects, not just one person. Technology is here to help, not to make sport easy or anything, though others might feel technology is the reason for some people's success. Let me know what you think!🙌
I disagree with this statement because many people fail to understand that sports is not about the technology or equipment, it's about the athlete being able to develop his skill through training, sacrifice and hard work. The improvement of technology and equipment shouldn't change that. No matter the type/mode of technology that is being used, as far as it is the athlete that has dedicated his time to participate in the sport, he should be the one to get the credit. For example, an athlete works very hard with his skills and talents to achieve a record with the use of technology, and people don't care because they claim he was able to do it because of technology. It can have a very bad effect on the athlete because only the individual knows how much effort he put to accomplish his goal. Therefore, I find it unfair to think newer records are less impressive because of the equipment and training technology used.
I disagree with this statement because the records the athletes win is from their personal hard work. Although others might say that technology is doing all the work for them, I personally believe that technology acts as training tools. An athlete can train with less fatigue and stress when using technologies like the treadmill, carbon plated running shoes and so on. I believe technology was added to sports to make it unbelievably amazing, and not the other way around. Thank you.
I disagree with this statement, reason been that even though the availability of tech is still there, one actually needs his natural skills and talents to be able to work and cope with the technological improvements. So in my opinion, no matter the tech used in the process, I feel sporting records are still quite impressive and should still be rendered impressive. For instance, lets say tech shoes which make athletes run fast, are provided; now no matter how fast those shoes can run, if one doesnt train his legs and lower bodies, he or she could still be at a disadvantage despite the new tech improvements.
I pretty much agree with this statement as tech can be seen all around the sports from the first training ever to the match of an athlete's retirement.
Techs create a safe environment for improving and competing and an example would be the heart rate and breathing monitors that determine whether the athlete is able to compete/train or not.
Also some athletes have diabetes and need a certain tech to notify his coach before he hit a diabetic coma. And for the same reason for people with heart condition, need their coach notified before he falls in a seizure.
Others might think that risk is a part of the game and only healthy athletes should compete, excluding sick ones. But the winter games has the opposite thought and allows the ones with medical conditions to compete as long as their health is maintained.
One think all sides agree upon that tech shouldn't be used to set new records, but allow the athlete to get to this point.
In your opinion if you used techs inappropriately, getting you a win you don't deserve. How would you get a wink of sleep knowing you cheated?
In my opinion, I feel like you wouldn't have peace of mind knowing you cheated. Your conscience won't just let you rest, the scenario will keep on playing in your head over and over again. To avoid this, you either confess that you cheated or simply abstain from it completely. Thank You.
I agree with this statement beacuse technology can really help an athlete to break records, and it can also help cheat to beat other players
How can technology allow certain athletes to cheat?
In any sport, there is at least 1% of technology used for example in football it's VAR and tennis I guess it's Hawkeye and also technology is used to show the total points of each team so for example if any cyber security decided that they would hack the account of the points and suddenly change the points without anyone noticing, this would allow their country to win by cheating and this is only one way, there could be a lot of other ways for example maybe a photographer or the person who is guarding the camera which is recording the match could just suddenly flip it or not show something at some point so it can't make the other team win and this is also using technology and also if we're not only talking about technology. Denying itself if you to deny and if you believe that you deny it's going to make the people around you believe you too even though it's not true, so actually it's not only technology that can make you cheat it's you believing in lies. So make sure not to cheat in any game because if you cheat you're going to get caught, by anytime, anyway.
Bye-bye.
In my opinion, I feel that this statement is not true, because even with the introduction of new equipment and training facilities, athletes still need to work hard as the technology can not do all the work for them. Give a smart watch that measures distance for example, even with human-driven execution, the athlete still has to run; the tech doesn't do the work, it measures it. Training with new equipment doesn't particularly mean that records will be broken easier, but it does mean less stress for the individuals involved. Hence, despite the means of training, I think that any record broken will still be impressive as it will still be noted in history as a new milestone achieved.
I disagree with this statement because new equipment and training technology do not make sporting records less impressive; instead, they show how sport evolves over time. Athletes still need exceptional talent, discipline and mental strength to take advantage of advanced technology and without these qualities, records would not be broken. Technology may support athletes, but it cannot replace years of hard training and dedication.
Another reason for my view is that records have always been influenced by improvements, such as better nutrition, coaching methods and safer equipment. If records were only impressive when conditions never changed, then progress in sport would be discouraged. Breaking records using modern technology reflects human innovation and the constant push to achieve higher standards.
However, others might feel that technology gives athletes an unfair advantage and makes it easier to break records compared to the past. They may argue that when equipment plays a major role, records feel more about technology than pure athletic ability.
I really disagree with this statement. I totally get why people think new records aren't as cool anyomre because of the usage of high- technology equipment. it kind of feels like cheating, for example a runner wins a competition or a marathon just because of their shoes have literal springs in it or their swimsuite is made by NASA engineers. It makes it super hard to compare a pro athlet today to someone from way back in the day who just hade basic shoes and a regular track. But even with the best tech, thoes athletes still have to train like crazy and push themselves to the limit. So they are still doing something most humans never could. It's basically like the records aren't just about the person anymore, but about how cool our new inventions are too. The records are for the person, not for the technology they use.
I do not agree at all.
For the time and era, those records were amazing and they still are incredible but as new training and new technology gets created those new records will be easier to achieve. But that's just how the way things go. Imagine you just learn to start typing and you look at people that are really fast a typing (like insanely fast). With enough practice and muscle memory and as time passes with more smooth and more quick inputting keyboards, the record you watched that was once unimaginable is now very obtainable if you just train to type enough.
The world will keep growing, changing, developing and people will too. Even things like humor change and what was once funny is barely funny now.
Records are like a golden trophy in time, that will one day be out shadowed by another and another until the end of time as we know it.
I do not agree with this statement, the earth isn't ever going to stop developing technologically. Meaning professional sports are going to be played at a higher level as the years pass. Skills come as a development along with technology, we naturally get better at sports and create more techniques as time passes. Getting more advanced technology means the sport is only going to be played at a higher level.
Using sports technology doesn't take away the fact that these athletes are putting in countless hours of effort and work into their sports to improve. The technology is just something that comes along with the advancement of the world, and there is nothing we can do about it, humans learn how to sharpen those skills and turn them into something that we can use to get better.
Records are used to show that an athlete has done something that has never been done before and I believe that it's wrong to take back these athletes work because technology of the world is developing against their own will. In conclusion technology doesn't help the athlete, It's all about the work they put into it.
I would have to disagree with this statement because this practice has been done in the lifetime that competitive sports has existed. For starters, new technology and training techniques will arise on a daily basis. Admitting that innovations makes new records less impressive is equivalent to saying that the creation of phones is less impressive than electricity getting invented.
However people might not agree with my statement because they'd think that new technology might ease uprising athletes and become inferior to previous professionals who trained while breaking their backs. I wouldn't invalid their opinion because it is quite reasonable.
Regardless, I think it's better to be open minded to new technology because we wouldn't be able to break records that were deemed impossible back then.
I personally agree with this statement because past records are very memorable and very meaningful. For example Michael Jordans 30 points game record was recently broken by Lebron James but people still choose Michael over Lebron. Its interesting to note that it was more exciting to watch past games because the suspense and the impact for a new record back then was higher than it was now. In this time and age most people are used to a record being broken because its much easier to find new ways using new techs.
However some people might enjoy a new record because the stakes are raised higher. With everyone using tech to support and train them the competition will also get harder from facing strong competitors.
But a new record will never truly beat a record set by a person with legacy.
I strongly disagree with the idea that advanced equipment and training technology make sports records less impressive, overlooking excellence in sports has become more demanding rather than easier.Modern technology had eliminiated uncertainty in preparation and demanding athletes to perform with nearly perfect precision. Nowadays, every weakness is identified, monitored and exposed and giving very little space is given to hide behind raw talent. Also competing, with this conditions requires exceptional mental composure in addition to physical strength. Technology also intensified the contest by equalising the access among elite athletes. When many atheletes getting benefited with similar tools, I feel this makes the margin of success extremely narrow, rather than making it easy. Records are achieved through persistent discipline and sustained excellence over time, not momentary brilliance on the day of contest. That too maintaining peak form in this environment demands an extraordinary pyschological endurance, which most of them lacks.I feel modern record reflects the athlete's ability to adapt to constant innovation and this adds more complexity that earlier athletes did not face. Therefore I think modern records should be viewed as achievements of mastery within an advanced/ developed system. They represent a high quality form of excellence, purely defined by control, resilience, hardwork and the ability to thrive amid persisting pressure and progress.
Excited to hear other perspectives!!!
Hi talkative_statement! Nice point, but I don't agree with you. I think today's technology only makes achievement difficult because of the weaknesses that are exposed. To succeed, a person needs not only physical strength but mental composure, since the chances of winning are harder than before. Sport aren't only about physical and mental composure but an athlete's ability to perform well with the latest tech and innovations.
I firmly disagree to this statement.
My reason for this is that "even though technology enhances performance, technology without talent still remains ineffective" and "without talent and discipline, equipment alone cannot produce record breaking results".
Also, even with the technological support, modern athletes still face physical strain and risk of injuries because to break a record you still need extraordinary efforts and hard-work.
In conclusion, technology does not eliminate human effort, it only enhances it.
Thanks.
I agree to the statement that tech driven equipment help athlete to break records because tech driven records are important because they are accurate, fast and promote a fair game to all the athlete in the case of recording scores for a particular sport. in terms of training, it allows AI to analyze your performance, to track you and know the distance covered during training and to know where to improve on yourself it also helps to analysis you opponent and to see how you can win.
THANK YOU.
I strongly disagree with this statement. Even though athletes have the help of technology, they still have to work hard to break the records. Some people may think that it's unfair for other athletes that did not use technology, but it doesn't mean that we should look down on athletes that use technology. Technology just help athletes to perform safely, push the athletes ability even further, and to reach a more accurate result. Think about it this way: If a professional swimmer use technology to record their data and to make a more productive schedule, does this means that the swimmer does not need to train and make an effort? Of course not. Technology does not instantly make athletes become better, they help athletes in their journey in becoming better. Athletes still have to train hard and make an effort to break the records. Advanced technology and equipment only support them to reach an even higher record, and they do not replace the effort and hard work that athletes made. So, I believe that we should not look down on these athletes achievement just because they use technology and newer equipment.
How can we keep sports fair for everyone, with or without technology?
Okay so first of all hello! And I am going to answer your question even though it wasn't for me 😅
1) How can we keep sports fair with technology?
For example if there's a competition around the world like this for example like the Olympics, and somehow it's allowed to use technology there's only one way or maybe more to make kids fair first if we are allowing technology we are going to allow the exact same amount of technology for each single country because if at some point a country had a bigger or better technology and another had a bad one it's obviously going to be obvious who will win, the country with the better technology! So to make it fair
Okay so first of all hello! And I am going to answer your question even though it wasn't for me 😅
1) How can we keep sports fair with technology?
For example if there's a competition around the world like this for example like the Olympics, and somehow it's allowed to use technology there's only one way or maybe more to make kids fair first if we are allowing technology we are going to allow the exact same amount of technology for each single country because if at some point a country had a bigger or better technology and another had a bad one it's obviously going to be obvious who will win, the country with the better technology! So to make it fair
I disagree with this statement, because we have to follow and take advantage of technology development. New sports equipment and training technology was made to improve. If there are new better technologies, we shouldn't stay with the old ways. It will be very ineffective and in vain. We have to change the way we think. So we judge based on training equipments and technology changes. In the past, such an achievement might have been impressive because of limited training. However, today, such an achievement might no longer be considered impressive because more supportive training equipments are available. That's why we have to understand that the records athletes used to have are still amazing, especially with limited trainings. Therefore, it's all about mindset and how we think. We must first understand the differences between the past and the present. But honestly, in the first place, sports shouldn't have used such a system. Because, it's just as unfair as the technological differences between then and now. This explains why I disagree with the statement "New equipment and training technology help athletes break records, which makes new sporting records less impressive."
Thank you so much!
I disagree with this statement because when we allow the technology everyone will use it and then everyone will be equal and also technology can't change a thing without a skill and doesn't replace talent and effort and discipline if you used all sorts of technology, you can't beat Usain Bolt without talent and hard work for years and years. A real-life example is that no one until now brook Bolt's record no matter how much technology improved still Bolt hold the record.
However, others might think technology enhance too much and improve too much but I think this is science fiction or may happen decades later.
But what do you think?
I disagree with this statement because if technology helps to break records, this doesn't mean that it replaced athletes' own performance. Breaking records requires self-determination, efforts, years of training, AND "technology". In fact, natural ability can't break a record alone, so technology can push human limits, break barriers and provides a bigger possibility to win or break a new record.
If breaking records were simply about better shoes or latest technology, then why don't all athletes with access to the same technology become record breakers? This proves that human skill and dedication are central and technology may just assist.
Another reason for my view is that records are still impressive because athletes must perform professionally knowing that one mistake can make all the efforts they exerted in vain. So, technology doesn't work alone. It is impossible to be the only reason for winning. Natural ability, efforts, self-determination, persistence, years of training and technology are all working together to unlock the full potential. Many athletes have the access to the same modern equipment but don't break records because technology can just "give a support" but can't play the main role.
However, others might feel that nowadays, breaking records became easier and not impressive or exciting because it became usual. I disagree with them because it is still challenging as technology can't replace humans' own performance. If it was just about having the ability to afford latest technology to break records, then we will find a new record breaker every day.
I disagree with this statement because new equipment and training technology do not diminish the impact of sporting records. Here's why:
In my eyes, technology does not replace or render the human meaningless. Instead, what it does is change the limit of what was thought to be possible. There's also the fact that at the highest level, technology only helps if you have dedication, strategy and execution. A piece of scrap can't help you regulate your emotions or make sure you are focused, that is all on you. It is all free real estate: untouched human potential.
However, others might believe that records become less important if they rely on technological advantages. A valid point could be made that this might shift the discussion from athleticism to engineering. For example, the difference between a wooden pole and fiberglass pole in pole vaulting is staggering, this could be seen as an 'artificial boost'.
In conclusion, I believe that sports has evolved just like any other thing, alongside technology. New records, in my eyes, still retain that shine and prestige because they were still made possible by extraordinary human beings who used the best tools and knowledge available at the time.
Hi, my name is Valentina & I'm a senior legal counsel at a global financial institution. My typical daily responsibilities include drafting & negotiating commercial agreements, interpreting laws & regulations as well as advising clients on various legal matters in the area of investment management. A follow up question for you: do you think the use of modern technology should be restricted and/or better regulated by the relevant international sports organizations?
Hi, Valentina.
Yes, I believe that modern technology should be better regulated by international sports officials because of one key area: training. A sports organization cannot see what technologies the athletes use to train which can put opposing teams at a severe disadvantage. Imagine there's a new, never seen before training technology which can improve running training efficiency by 200% (this is just an example). Now, imagine the creator of this new technology doesn't make it public and instead makes an international sports team with deep pockets pay him upfront as well as pay him royalties. This is not illegal and unless you have an insider in the sports team, there's no way you'll be able to know. That's why I believe that at a certain professional level, training and training technology should be well-documented to avoid unfairness. This affects more physical sports since their training algorithms are not widely available to the public. An example of sports technology which is widely available is a Chess engine. A Chess engine is a computer which analyzes millions of Chess moves in mere seconds so that it finds the best possible moves. All of the top Chess engines are open source (Leela, Stockfish) which means that everybody has the same resources in terms of technology. Of course, technology has made Chess more memorization-based since you can memorize the computer's moves but that's an entirely different story. So, yes, I think the use of modern technology should be better regulated by international sports organizations.
I disagree with this statement because some people work very hard without tech to achieve records. Another reason for my view is that people who earn records without using tech will feel less motivated to train hard when they see people with tech achieving the same results more easily. This could make their efforts feel overlooked, even though they only relied on their own skill, discipline and determination.
However, others could argue that athletes with tech work just as hard as others without it, just with a little bit of extra help and guidance to improve their performance. Technology can help athletes train smarter and stay safer, and also it is not necessarily their fault that these tools exist and are available to them.
Personally, I'm not saying that people who use tech to reach records don't work hard at all, I'm just saying that I think that when people achieve that accomplishment without the technology, it's a bit more meaningful in terms of the fact you did that yourself. To expand on the idea of "meaningful", what I mean by that is that it proves what someone's hard work can do and also shows what the human body and mind can accomplish on their own. These achievements highlight the athlete's hard work, perseverance, and effort, rather than the support from advanced tech tools. Overall, while technology can help enhance performance, records achieved without it often feel more impressive because they rely completely on personal ability and hard work.
I heavily disagree with this statement because even with new equipment and technology, it still takes these great athletes to put in effort in their training, discipline , mental mindset, talent, and even something as their diet. Technology can absolutely help athletes performance, but it doesn't belittle the years of hard work and sacrifice that many of these athletes had to put themselves through to just be able to make to this elite level. An example I can give is the 100 meter dash, a sport that has been in the Olympic since 1896, more than 100 years ago, and in those 100 years in 1926 the record was 10.4 seconds. Fast forward to the most recent Olympic in 2024, Noah Lyles had a time of 9.79, less than 1 second decrease, this shows that technology has not drastically change the humans limit. And even if these technology do drastically change the performance of someone, such has performance drugs, these technology are banned across most to almost every modern sport known, and if caught would result to the record being strip away from the person. Let's praise our athletes that break these impressive records, not dismiss them because the type of shoe they are wearing.
I do not agree with this claim since the use of technology to achieve accomplishment in sport is still impressive regardless. Nowadays, many types of technology have been ultilized to make every day life easier. Even with new technology, success requires hard work, dedication, and ambition; without them we can't achieve anything.
Modern technology is meant to assist athletes to push through their limits, rather than baby them through their process. Training equipment and others help them improve and reach their full potential. In addition, it assist in minimalizing the risks of injury allowing a longer and healthier career for them.
Furthermore, is no such thing as "the best"; someone will always overcome another. In some circumstances, some athletes can experience off days during the event thus not able to perform their best. As a result, it can lead their outcomes to be worse than expected. Records will be broken by another sooner or later by rising stars and that isn't something to be ashamed of.
Technology is something that has been designed to assist man-kind to progress and improve. There is no reason to overlook technology that can assist us. Sport achievements will still be impressive no matter what, because every triumph is a result of hard work, diligence, and determination.
I disagree with this statement because new sports technology is mainly used to help athletes train better and safer.
For example, athletes use smartwatches to track how much they sleep, the distance they run and even their speed. This data helps them manage their energy not cheat. Another good example is running shoes, they are designed to make athletes feel comfortable and protect them from injuries during long races.
However, others might argue that records set with new technology are less impressive because they think the machine is doing the work to set the new world record.
To conclude, I believe that using the latest sports technology is not cheating. It simply helps athletes reach their full potential to make new amazing records.
Since tech has entered the highest level of sport athlete improved and this isn't a bad thing, because at their level it's important you give everithing you have to succed and tech helps them to do it.
Although tech doesn't need to have something to do with low level sport because it risks to ruin the fun and to become inaccesible
after reading some of your comments I believe that there are many different ways to debate over this statement.
I recognize the fact that I agree with both "parts", I strongly believe that using new equipment and training technology to break records is a very impressive concept, but I also think that it could be unfair.
It could be unfair for the teams or athletes who can't afford them and it also could be unfair to older records, the ones that were achieved "naturally" , using human's cognitive abilities and strenght.
I think that pretty much every single argument made over this topic in the comments was reasonable (that's cause I managed to understand every perspective and what was behind it), but I think that technology shouldn't influence sports to the point where even experts can't distinguish talent and devotion from technology.
I think that technology should be used and explored even better to cure diseases or disabilities that make it hard for the person to play a sport, but I don't think it should alter/reinforce people's cognitive abilities or strenght drastically.
I disagree with the statement,because even tho technology nowadays can play a big part in the athlethe's training and achievements,we still have to remember that the athlethes put the effort,hard work and the discipline showing everyday to improve in the sport they play.For example someone might do a part of their training with technologycal equipment to understand better their mistakes and where they should improve,while the other part using their skills and putting the effort.
Another thing we should remember is that we were born in a generation that is very used to find technology in every place we go,so we know the advantages and risks of it and to use it in moderation to not lose our talents.
I agree with this statement because in 2026 there are more and more opportunities to train,to coach and to compete.
However this statement shouldn't be taken as a criticism ,therefore in a negative way, because with technology the sport is evolving.
I also think that the data-led coaching is a good thing for both the coach and the athletes because the coach has diferent statistics of the athletes so that he knows which player is better and what. For example in volleyball if an athlete is better in defense, the coach will make him play as a defenser. This is also good for the athletes because they can know where to get better .
Obviously the evolution is in a positive way if all the people who participate in a competition have the same start.
I intend that they should've the same opportunities: for example if a participant has a technological and modern suit and the other hasn't, it wouldn't be fair,so the referee should notice it and make the competition fair for both athletes.
Others might think that this statement is wrong because the sport in the origins doesn't have technology,but I think that evolution is really important to make the game evolved with more acessibilities.
I do not agree because the oldtime was better than this on because on oldtime they used tyrs,sticky mad and runing in
gardens, streats and in fealds but on technology side you just tran indoors and not outdoors like oldtime.
Can you explain what you mean by "running indoors and not outdoors"?
it means you can play the sport or have it indoors
it means you can play the sport or have it indoors
it means you can play the sport or have it indoors
it means you can play the sport or have it indoors
I disagree with this statement, and the reason for my disagreement is that although the use of new equipment and training technology can help athletes improve, breaking records still takes huge amounts of skill, effort, and dedication. The second reason for my disagreement with the statement is that athletes today face more competition than ever, so breaking a record is not as easy as it used to be. However, some people might argue that records are not as impressive as they used to be, as the athletes in the past didn’t have the same advanced technology to help them, so it’s not a fair comparison. I think records are still impressive, though, as it shows the evolution of the sport.
If we compared the records before technology and the records after technology, we would see that both are totally different because of the impact of technology. If technology would enhance the player's performance so that they can break records consequently I will totally agree with the statement.
Technology can make athletes better in sports so that winning and breaking results will be easy and will not be impressive. What did players that can't afford technology do to lose every game because of technology. The situations now in sport are not making sense and also if winning and breaking records depends on being faster in milliseconds so it is not impressive any more to break a record.
For example, in school, I made an experiment and compared between the normal shoes and the light-weight shoes. Then I ran with each one 100 meters. I noticed that the light shoes were making me faster and when I made a race with my friend that always won me, I won him thanks to the light shoes NOT to my performance therefore breaking records now is not impressive because it was by the help of technology.
I just wanted to ask a question, Topical talkers, if someone now broke Usain Bolt's great world record, will the new record be impressive? What do you think?
I disagree with this statement because new equipment and training technology do not reduce the value of sporting records; instead, they reflect how sport naturally evolves over time. Records have always been linked to the conditions of their era, whether that is improved nutrition, better coaching, or safer equipment. Modern athletes still need exceptional talent, discipline, and mental strength to break records, even with advanced technology. Technology may create opportunities, but it cannot replace the years of dedication and pressure athletes face when competing at the highest level.
Another reason for my view is that technology raises the standard for everyone, making competition more intense rather than easier. When athletes know that others have access to similar equipment and data analysis, they must push their limits even further to stand out. Breaking a record today often requires outperforming a deeper and more competitive field than in the past, which makes these achievements impressive in a different way.
However, others might feel that modern records are less special because technology gives athletes an artificial advantage and makes comparisons with past champions unfair. While this concern is understandable, records should be appreciated as milestones of progress, not diminished simply because sport continues to advance.
Hello topical talkers, hope you are doing great. I think tech-driven records are definitely less meaningful because it feels like the equipment is doing a lot of the hard work instead of the athlete. If a swimmer breaks a world record just because they have a special high-tech suit that helps them glide faster, it doesn’t seem fair to the people who broke records years ago using just their own strength and practice. It’s almost like the scientists and engineers are the ones winning the medals rather than the actual runners or swimmers. Sport is supposed to be about seeing what the human body can do on its own, so if we rely too much on gadgets and expensive gear, it feels a bit like cheating. Also, it’s not really fair for athletes from poorer countries who might be amazing at their sport but can't afford the newest technology. If we keep letting technology take over, then one day the records won't even be about talent anymore, they will just be about who has the most money to buy the best equipment. I think it is much more impressive to see someone win because they trained the hardest, not because they have the fanciest trainers.
I agree with this statement.
The athletes of now are heavily reliant on tech, for training routines, and overall performance. As such it's not our body limits evolving, it’s the limits of our tech. The records of old are way more impressive in comparison, because they had simple shoes, simple training, and chances are many record breaking athletes didn’t have state-of-the-art facilities. All they had was their strength and determination. The only reason new records are being broken is because we are developing technology that makes it easier for them to compete. I saw another Topical Talker provide an example of motion sensors on a ski jump to be able to recreate that jump and better training, but that ignores the fact that it is still easier for them now, than the older athletes. They literally couldn’t monitor their jumps, recreate them again and again or maximize them with tech because they didn’t have access to those materials. The records of old were based on sheer strength. Some are of the view that technology is helping everyone train, and that the records aren’t any less impressive because they still need the physical strength to do that.
To put it simply, the athletes from decades ago were far more impressive than the athletes of today, because the old athletes didn’t enjoy the luxuries of many things today’s athletes have, or the research today’s athletes can use, as well as the tech. The older athletes trained and pushed purely their bodies, and no outside factors. Versus today, we push the limits of our strategies and equipment, not so much the body anymore.
I agree with the fact that technology helps athletes break records, but it doesnt make it less impressive. I actually think that sports nowadays have been more competitive and harder than ever with more young athletes with brimming potential. Everyone is working towards breaking records, so I still think that it should be celebrated the same way.
Technology changed sports forever, giving athletes more focused and targeted training to improve, tools to help with certain skills they have to master, extensive monitoring on performances, but these dont diminish the athletes efforts. Technology is also used to bring safer training methods and detect risks in injury before they occur, having an injury during a peak in an athletes career is the last thing they would want.
Tell me, is it less impressive that figure skating olympian landed a Quad Axel for the first time in 2022 Winter Games after knowing that she has the support and training that she need? It doesnt, she still made history---and there will be an even more impressive feat that will be achieved in the future, sports will continue to evolve. Records are meant to be broken, it is a sign that the sport continues to grow as time goes by---there will always be rising athletes that follow their predecessor.
I completely disagree with the statement because although technology has indeed made the path of breaking records smoother,, I don't believe that this has reduced the significance of Sporting records.
From my perspective,, the reasons for my disagreement are as follow;
Firstly,, technology merely helps to develop an athlete's latent potential. Every record is ultimately recognized as the result of an athlete's hard work, discipline and long-term dedication. An analysis by *The Guardian* shows that while technology play a supportive role, an athlete's mental resilience and physical capability remain the decisive factors behind record–breaking performances.
However, another reason for my view is that sports governing bodies have become far more vigilant than before if any equipment exerts an influence that outweighs human skill, it's banned. Moreover,, the way an athlete and their coach analyze thousands of data points to identify weaknesses and improve performance is itself highly impressive. Modern sport is a powerful integration of human intellect and scientific advancement——no longer just a contest of physical strength....
Thank You💕
In my opinion I disagree because, even though modern technology help athletes break records but that doesn't make their achievements less impressive. Athletes still needs to train hard and stay discipline. Technology are just helping them push to their highest level but, it can't replace their talent, determination, and effort.
Also athletes from the past used the best technology that was available at that time, just like athletes do today, so there is nothing wrong for athletes to use technology to support their talent. Sports are always changing, records are meant to be break as people learn more about training.
Finally, breaking record today can be more impressive because competition is tougher than ever. Athletes face higher expectations and stronger opponents from all over the world. Even with advanced technology, it still takes courage, focus, and mental strength to perform at the highest level. Modern records are just as impressive as those from the past.
I agree with the statement because equipment and data are so important in todays sports that they give the user an advantage compared to others that are not using it. When trying to break a world record, you compete with a past athlete. If you have access to tech and data that they did not have access to, beating them is much less impressive than beating them on equal footing. Imagine if you were racing someone in sandals and they had world class running shoes. That wouldnt be very fair, would it?
For example, in 2008, Speedo partnered with NASA to create swimsuits that literally reshaped the swimmers' bodies and that offered extra buoyancy. In other words, the swimsuits were doing work in the athlete's place. Thats the definition of doping. Because of these swimsuits, 43 world records were broken between 2008 and 2009 and 94% of medalists at the Beijing Olympics wore the LZR. (Sources:IEEE Spectrum, LA Times)
If the equipment is doing work for the athlete, then the record is much easier to break because the athletes effort can be redirected elsewhere.
Another argument supporting my claim is that world records get broken almost every time the olympics are held. This does not happen because humans evolve so fast. Such evolution takes generations, not 4 years. This happens because equipment, training techniques and data evolve so fast. If tech and data werent such a big advantage, we would see world records being broken much less often.
However, others may say that it is still as impressive, because you are competing against athletes in your time as well with the same tech.
I disagree with the statement, here’s why,
Technology doesn’t make records a lie.
Yes, new gadgets help athletes go fast,
But records still matter and some will last.
Athletes train hard every day and night,
They push their bodies with all their might.
Take Usain Bolt, quick on his feet,
His speed and talent made records beat.
He wore good shoes, that part is true,
But shoes alone can’t run like you.
Look at swimmers with suits so sleek,
They still need strength, not just technique.
Technology helps them train and plan,
But it can’t replace the heart of a man.
Without effort, tech means very little,
It can’t win races or solve the riddle.
Some say records are easier to break today,
But athletes still work hard in every way.
So what do you think, do records still shine?
Is it tech or the athlete crossing the line?
I disagree with the statement that new equipment and training technology make modern sporting records less impressive. Although technology has a big effect on sport today, breaking a record still depends mainly on human skill & hard work .
Technology has clearly changed how athletes train and compete. Better shoes, lighter materials and detailed data help athletes prepare in smarter ways and perform more effectively. Coaches can now check fitness, technique and progress very accurately. These improvements help athletes reach higher levels and go beyond past limits.
I feel like new technology makes sport more exciting for fans. Every new invention, such as better training programs or improved equipment, makes people curious about what athletes can achieve next. Watching competitors use advanced tools to run faster or jump higher intrigues us and shows how science and creativity work together with human ability.
But technology alone cannot create record-breaking results. Equipment may give support, but it is the athlete who must complete years of tough training and deal with pressure. Even when competitors use the same modern technology, only a few manage to succeed. This shows that talent, effort and strong mindset are still more important than any machine or device.
Part of sport and each generation benefits from new ideas. Instead of making records less meaningful, modern advances show the strong link between human effort and innovation. In the end, new records are impressive because they represent the endless wish of people to improve and reach new possibilities.
I strongly disagree with this statement because modern technology is just used to innovate the training and it do not in anyway burry the physical talent and spirit. If a sports person keep on breaking his own records, how can we say that "His records are less impressive" because that player has used his 100% hard work and dedication to prove the world that he is the one and only chase master for his own records. If he had use some equipments or technology, It is only to boost his athletic ability which really helps to achieve a big milestone.
In the competitive landscape of track and field and swimming ,certain athletes demonstrated such dominance that they spend years of chasing to beat their own previous bests. For example, in track and field ,the Swedish American pole vaulter, Arman Duplantis has broken his own world records 14 times as late of 2025, reaching a height of 6.30 m by consistently rising the bar just 1 cm at a time. The measurement is small but it paves his way for creating history. Also, the athletic Legend Ussain Bolt famously lowered his own 100m sprint record from 9.72 seconds to 9.58 seconds. These massive records means that they had used this modern equipments to enhance there athletic ability rather than using it to create tech-powered records. They are the people who believe in themselves, not the technology!
I disagree with this statement. Even though tech can help athletes it only gets you so far. You need to still practice a lot and be very good to be an athlete that competes in the Olympics anyway, plus technology has already been invented and it is here to stay. Tech is designed to make your life easier so of course it will help athletes but we shouldn't take away the dedication athletes have put into to getting were they are saying this it doesn't meant records aren't as impressive as athletes are overtraining so tech is being made to help them cope. Overall I feel that sport is always changing because of new inventions but that doesn't make breaking records any less impressive and we should understand that.
I sort of disagree that new technology makes records less impressive, but we need to be cautious. I'm a big snowboarder, and I love watching athletes land amazing triple corks that seemed impossible ten years ago. Boards and foam pits for practice definitely helped them improve, but the athlete still has to be brave enough to flip three times in the air. Technology doesn’t do the work for them; it just makes new possibilities available.
But I also see the other side: the Games can't turn into just a technology competition. We can’t halt progress (and we shouldn't), but we need to regulate it with rules. If someone breaks a record because of a high-tech $100,000 suit with sensors instead of their own skill, then that record feels meaningless. It’s not really fair to compare them to earlier athletes. Technology should be a way for talent to shine, not something that pushes them across the finish line.
I think newer sporting records are still impressive as modern technology mainly maximizes athletes natural abilities, such as reducing injury risk or helping them reach previously untapped potential. Therefore, these records shouldnt be seen as inferior to older ones. However, I understand how utilizing technology could possibly be considered cheating by some.
I think tech driven sports is way more meaningful than the opinions of the audience. This makes sports fair for everyone and it helps in making sure that no one cheated and no one is cheating.
People often leave sports because it is fun and not a fair competition.
I don't buy this argument that new gear and training tech somehow cheapen sporting records. Technology mostly sharpens how athletes prepare; it doesn't erase the effort they put in. Performance analytics, motion tracking, and recovery systems are just a few examples of technology that aid in training with more precision but do not guarntee success, which stills comes from discipline, raw strength and mental toughness. Records are also products of an era; each generation faced the conditions of its time. Athletes of yesteryear enjoyed better nutrition, safer tracks, and rules reform, and we still look up to what they achieved. Similarly, today's records should be judged against the tech available today.
Competition is fiercer and more global than at any time in history. Where professional coaching and science based training are accessible to athletes around the world, breaking a record often involves beating the performances of thousands of the best, which makes the feat truly impressive. Other Topical Talkers probably argue that the most frequently levelled criticism: That high tech equipments create uneven advantages and stifles natural talent. However, this can be policed by the sport's governing body through rigid rules on equipment and by assuring that all competitors enjoy equal access. By balancing innovation with fairness, technology can elevate sport while preserving the integrity and value of sporting records.
I strongly disagree with this statement because even though new high-tech equipment and modern technology can help overpower the athletes real skills and abilities, it still doesn’t change the fact that the athlete has trained for years to achieve their dreams and goals, just for someone to say it’s not as “impressive” because they used training technology.
In my perspective I imagine someone training for a long period of time nonstop and endless hours work, but one day they find out using technology can help enhance their routine in training and even give feedback on what to improve and how. Modern technology doesn’t really make a huge impact on the athlete, it’s just there to push the athletes limits and strong abilities to grow into an even better player.
This type of technology’s purpose to help build up power and strength. For example, a professional basketball player uses a smart ball ( tracks performance in shots and gives back angles, spin rate and speed time) which gives the player detailed feedback the human eye can’t. But does this mean the player doesn’t have to train as hard as other athletes? No, they would have keep building muscle memory given from the data and keep building athletic skills, which still takes effort and time.
In conclusion I disagree as records are made to be broken, so others can keep beating it around the world. No record should be impossible to beat and others should try and work hard to do that. Just because modern technology gives intense feedback to the athlete to improve their physical strengths doesn’t mean it’s not impressive .
I disagree, I do think technology could make any activity easier, but I think that when a new technology comes out to the public, even if at first is an advantage, after a while it becomes the standard. Just like with other technological inventions such as the calculator or even the internet. In my opinion, when everyone gets an "advantage" and it gets something usual, even when it gets easier, it gets easier to everybody (or at least for the most of the people) so this record is just as impressive as before the advantage. Is this advantage is only for the person breaking the record, this record could mean less though, because conditions are not the same for all of the people. To my mind, when there is equality of conditions for more or less everyone trying to break that record, the achievement is as important as when there was other (difficult) conditions.
I also think that even if the record is easier and involves technology, making it less impresive, it stills a record and its important (but is also important to clarify under what conditions the record was broken) In conclussion, it depends.
In old time people use to train in mad, sticks, tyrs and also train in forest. that why I do not agree with this new technology. bat people use technology to train like tread mill .
That why I do not like this technology .
I do not agree with the statement that new equipment and modern training technology make sports records less impressive. I believe sports records remain impressive because, even with advanced technology, athletes still need key qualities such as talent, discipline, and mental toughness to achieve them. Technology can support athletes, but it cannot replace hard work, dedication, and competitiveness. Reaching peak performance still takes many years of intense training.
Another reason for my view is that modern technology is available to many athletes, yet only a few are able to break records. This shows that human skill and ability play the most important role. Records are not broken by technology alone; they are broken by athletes.
Some may argue that earlier athletes are at a disadvantage because they did not have access to advanced sports science and equipment, making it easier for records to be broken today. However, sports are constantly evolving. Every generation competes using the technology available at the time, and it is still impressive when athletes push beyond previous limits and set new records.
I disagree with this statement. Using new equipment and technology to break records is not worse or less meaningful than breaking records without the equipment or technology. A lot of people think that this is unfair for the people who broke the records without the technology but this doesn’t make the records from athletes today less impressive. Technology and new equipment can only help the athletes to improve their training and practice better, but this doesn’t mean that they don't have to work hard. The new technologies and new equipment is just here to bring the athletes to their limits and also set new limits for the sport. A lot of things have changed and evolved in sports e.g. football, basketball etc. athletes use newer and better shoes for better foot safety or wear compression shirts to improve their blood circulation and regeneration during the game. Over the past decades not everything but a lot of equipments etc. have changed and got improved in a lot of sports so why shouldn’t athletes from other sports be allowed to use technology too? In the end the records still come from their hard work and not by technology itself. If technologies made new records less impressive then the people who criticize it should go and try to beat those records by themselves. Records are the limit of human skills and human athleticism in every aspect. So the records which athletes beat with technologies are still very impressive although they did it with new equipment and training technology. Technologies can also protect athletes during practice and encourage their creativity.
I agree with this statement because new equipment and modern training technology make it easier for athletes to break records today. Athletes now have high-tech shoes, better materials for sport clothes and advanced training machines. They can use video analysis, fitness trackers and special nutrition plans to improve their performance. In the past, athletes did not have the opportunities. They had to train without all this modern support. So the differences in their performance were only because of more talent and more training. That makes it a bit unfair to compare their records with the records of today. If athletes from the past would have had the same technology, they might also have achieved even better results.
However, others might feel that new records are still very impressive. Even with modern technology, athletes still have to train very hard and stay disciplined. technology can not replace talent, motivation and mental strength. In competitions like the Olympic Games most athletes usually have access to similar equipment, so the competition is mostly fair.
In conclusion, I agree that new sporting records are less impressive because modern technology gives athletes many advantages that athletes in the past didn’t have. This makes it unfair to compare different generations. Even though athletes still work hard, technology plays a big role in breaking records today.