Why we should allow performance enhancing drugs

[jahcs]

This reminded me of a conversation I had with my brother at some point, when the new tech on swimsuits (the ones that everyone seems to wear now, that have a grooved texture modelled after sharkskin) started to show up.

His question was quite simple really, wasn't that the same as a performance enhancing drug? A swimmer wearing these suits sudenly had much less drag and beat their own best times handily. But it wasn't because of a new technique, such as the Fosbury Flop that allowed Dick Fosbury to clear a higher bar in High Jump, but because of a new technology that was clearly enhancing the athlete's performance beyond what he could do, say, naked. And when they were the latest new tech they were a bit on the expensive side, and not everyone was wearing them. Was that an unfair advantage to those that were competing with the traditional speedos on?

Anyone can buy those swims (if they can afford it, haven't checked how much they go for these days), and as Pete says anyone will be able to enhance themselves when the appropiate enhancements are available. Anyone can use those drugs today, and probably we'll have drugs good enough to avoid most if not all secondary effects rather soon, so that's that excuse gone. What then? :)
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Reminds me of when the clap skate appeared in 1996-97. The ISU approved the skate and the teams that used it at the Olympics completely decimated the traditional skate users and the previous Olympic and World records. It was a case of adapt and upgrade or don't bother stepping on the ice.

BTW: Falling over 7 feet, backwards, onto your shoulders and neck, into a sandpit takes guts.