All this talk about doping (Beloki, Amrstrong, etc) has me thinking about the future of endurance sport. Assuming that there is doping throughout all sports (which I believer there is), and that doping will continue to advance (which I believe it will), will doping cause traditional sports to become obsolete, and/or cause us to redefine sport itself? For example, in 50 years from now if you can use gene therapy to change your DNA, and make you more lean, or carry more muscle, or increase VO2, or whatever you need to become a great athlete, will people in the future move on to other endeavors? If it is no longer difficult to run a 4min mile, by following the proper gene therapy and training, is it possible that we will lose the point? Maybe people will turn to other things that do not require extraordinary strength or stamina, and call it sport? Maybe the sports of the future will be X-game type sports. The Pittsburgh motorcycle jumping team (assuming motorcycle jumping doesn’t require extraordinary strength or stamina)? I don’t have the answer; I just thought I would throw out the question.
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It has been proposed that they should just open things up and have like they do in drag racing a top fuel division and you can take whatever you want. Of course this would never happen, but it would be both interesting and sad to see the results.
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Only a few years ago the gene modification possibilities seemed very remote, but there has been tremendous advancement on this front to make the possibility seem closer. However, I think what people are forgetting is the role that the mind plays on personal motivation at a number of different levels and how little we know about that. For example, Steffi Graf andf Andre Aggassi’s kids one would think would be great tennis players - they have great genes. However, the kids may turn out tror be great at something else, or not great at anything. Sometimes parental greatness can hang around your neck like a noose, even though you may have the genes to be great at something.
<—sticking his head in the sand and being grateful that he stands a 90% chance of not being alive in 50 years to see the morass you have envisioned. . . ;->
“It has been proposed that they should just open things up and have like they do in drag racing a top fuel division and you can take whatever you want. Of course this would never happen, but it would be both interesting and sad to see the results” It’s in Athens this year. It’s called the Olympics.
ever see the Saturday Night Live skit about the all drug Olympics?
It has been proposed that they should just open things up and have like they do in drag racing a top fuel division and you can take whatever you want. Of course this would never happen, but it would be both interesting and sad to see the results. <<
Pushing the ethical questions aside (big push to be sure). These are the two competing ideas. The “It’s OK to dope” side says “Hey let them do whatever they want with their bodies, they know the risk, they take the chance. I want to see the best, no matter what.” The anti-dopers believe that it damages the future of the sport. What kid wants to do a sport where they know to eventually be the best you will need to dope, whether it’s chemical, biological, or genetic? For example, why don’t we have strong youth bodybuilding (for posing etc) programs in schools? I’m sure a big reason is because everyone knows that to be the best you will eventually have to use “gear”. Will triathlon or the individual component sports reach the same point? I don’t pretend to know.
“If it is no longer difficult to run a 4min mile, by following the proper gene therapy and training”
The whole having to train aspect takes it out of the realm of many people. Unless you can exterminate TV, the internet, and every other sedentary activity in the next 50 years people will be leaner, higher VO2 fat asses in my opinion (as a former fat ass). Gene therapy cannot add to the willingness of someone who doesn’t want to do anything, it will just make the already driven more physically ‘perfect’ for their chosen sport.
“people will be leaner, higher VO2 fat asses in my opinion”
i’m not completely sure that you’re right about this. you make a good point, and obviously i have no way of calling you wrong. however, my guess would be that some people would take up athletics if they were more genetically inclined to do so, because they’d be unable to claim “i’m not built for this, it hurts too much”, etc - these seem to be the common complaints among my lazy friends. perhaps only a few people would have the change in genetics lead to less reluctance, but i think that as it became more of a social norm to be in shape and active, more people would do it. see, for example, australia.
I agree, there will be an increase in people who have the desire to do something but not the physical builds or required genetics (VO2max, Lactic Acid Threshold, muscle mass, you name it). I also see this leading to a much more divided population with a number of highly active people on one side and an equally sedentary population on the other. I think it would be great if my training and race costs were tax deductible (even some fraction) or if my health insurance costs was lower due to training but I don’t think that will happen anytime soon. Lets face it there are more parking spots for an NFL game or a NASCAR race than for an Ironman (I think having only seen it on TV).
I’m going for a swim at lunch I’ll have a more thought out post in an hour or so…
The whole having to train aspect takes it out of the realm of many people.<<
Yeah that’s true. But the question is will there reach a point where the motivated kid and his/her parents realize that in order to be great at say running, you will need to dope? And will that make the activity less “valuable?”
If it’s no longer perceived to be a big deal (extraordinary) to run a 4min mile, will kids and parents seriously consider running a worthy sport? Will there be a conversation in a young athlete’s career where the parents say “Yeah John, but to get into the 3:10 range you know all those guys go through genetic doping. Do you really want to do that? I didn’t think so.”
Look at bodybuilding (not that I am a bodybuilding historian). But if you saw a competitive bodybuilder of today in the 1910’s he would be extraordinary. Some guys were big back then, but they carried a lot more fat, because it’s nearly impossible to get huge and really lean. You didn’t see super ripped (big and lean) bodybuilders until the 70’s when chemical enhancement started to be perfected. Today you see a ripped bodybuilder in the gym and you think “No thanks, too many drugs for me.” Will we ever see a runner rip by us and say “No thanks, too much gene therapy for me.”
ever see the Saturday Night Live skit about the all drug Olympics?
That’s what I thought of… the weightlifter tries to clean some incredible weight and tears his own arms off, blood spewing everywhere. I think it was Phil Hartman.
I think the gene therapy idea for running is still in the realm of science fiction…
“he’s gotta be disappointed, but what an effort. and just listen to that crowd!”
Ethics and morality be damned lets talk cash:
1.How much is an Age Group win in a local race worth to you?
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Overall win in same race?
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Olympic medal (name your flavor)?
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Ironman AG?
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Ironman overall?
$ 1500 – New race wheel set
$ 2500 – New Frame
$ 5000 – 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser (PM me for details)
$ 12000 – Masters Degree (That what my wife and I paid for hers)
$ 30000 – New car
$ 75000 – That retirement cottage you’ve always wanted
$ 112000 – What I paid to have my house built on 1.4 acres here in New Mexico
Ante up.
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$2400. I could probably get the same result with a good one on one coach for 200 a month
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$5000. Same as #1 but with a new bike and wheels
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$30000. I read somewhere that a gold medal is worth a millions dollars if your market it right that good ROI
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I’ve never done an Ironman so this is pure speculation - $60000
5.see number 4 - 112000