In 1961, a fiberglass pole replaced the metal one used in pole vaulting and athletes broke the world record 19 times in a single decade. In cycling, better aerodynamics alone accounted for nearly half of all performance improvement over the sport’s history. Graphite rackets transformed tennis. Polyurethane swimsuits were so effective they eventually were banned (yet some records set during those two years still stand).
None of these technologies competed. They were not athletes. They did not collect medals, train for years, or make split-second decisions under pressure. Rather, each represents a performance-enhancing technology that allowed extraordinary humans to exceed what was previously possible.
