Athletic Performance Boosted By The Chemical Industry
The Paris 2024 Olympics are over, so it’s a good time to write a short review and highlight the importance of the chemical industry in sports and how it boosts athletic performance.
The Paris 2024 Olympics
Two of my favorite Belgian athletes, Remco and Nafi, did very well.
Remco Evenepoel rode to victory in the men’s cycling road race, claiming the gold medal in the heart of Paris on 3 August 2024. He embraced his historic achievement of becoming the first male cyclist to win the road race and time trial at the same games.
On 9 August 2024, Nafi Thiam claimed a record-setting third Olympic heptathlon gold medal. She became only the second woman to win three Olympic golds in the same athletics discipline, after winning gold at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
Congrats to all the athletes, especially those who won a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics!
The history of the 100-meter relay
I enjoyed watching Carl Lewis (USA) in the 100 m, 200 m, and long jump events in the 80s and 90s when he won nine Olympic gold medals. Carl Lewis won gold in 1984 in Los Angeles at 9.99 seconds and his 9.92 seconds in 1988 in Seoul was an Olympic record. Usain Bolt (Jamaica), who holds the world record with a time of 9.58 set in 2009, won the 100 m for a record third consecutive Olympics with 9.81 seconds at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Since Thomas Burke won the first-ever 100-meter relay in 12.0 seconds at the 1896 Olympics in Athens, speed has only gone up. In the 100 meters men’s final of this year’s Olympics in Paris all 8 finalists ended with a time under 10 seconds. Lyles Noah won gold with a time of 9.79 seconds. In the 1984 100-meter finals, only Carl Lewis ran below 10 seconds.
Athletic performance has improved steadily due to many factors, including faster tracks, better apparel, lighter shoes, and enhanced training techniques.
The chemical industry has boosted athletic performance
When you look at performance, you will also have to conclude that the chemical industry has a big role in setting new records. Sports equipment was once made of natural materials, but because of innovative chemistry, they are now made of lighter and cheaper synthetic materials like polymers and plastics. Here are a few examples:
-Today running tracks are faster as they are made from synthetic polymers.
-Clothes made of fabrics enhance performance, increase comfort, and protect athletes. Lycra or elastane, for example.
-Cyclists benefit from light carbon fiber road bikes, and other high-performance cycling gear, such as shoes and helmets, often reinforced with polymers.
Chemicals are used to innovate and create new opportunities in sports!
Knowing your products is very important and it is a benefit to understand how products are made and where they end up in the supply chain. I cover this in several units in module 1 of my online petchem supply chain training available on our ener8 Academy.
Continue to read part 2 of this article – “How the chemical industry innovates cycling”.
Photo Credit: Canva
