With the Rio Paralympic Games going on in full flow, we have come across many unique athletes who have gone on to defeat their disability in order to win a medal for their nation and to win pride for themselves. However, there are certain discoveries and technological advancements that we can witness at these Games.
There are reports in AFP which suggest that major car-maker BMW has created “the world’s fastest wheelchair”. These wheelchairs were called so by the four members of the US Paralympic team who have been using them. BMW’s California-based firm Designworks have created the machine which has been customized to fit each athlete. The wheelchair has been made from carbon fiber and has a long, low and triangular shape to it.
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These wheelchairs are not alone at the Games to have caught the eye of many. There are also prostheses which have been carved out of titanium, carbon fiber and other space age materials which are being used by amputees but have been the victim of controversy given the inability of the athletes to prove to the authorities that these prostheses do not help the athlete in any way. There are also the expensive running blades which are now considered by experts to be a tough competitor for the able-bodied athletes.
In the build-up to last month’s Olympic Games, Germany’s long-jump champion Markus Rehm, who does not have one leg, was not allowed to enter the Games because he could not prove that his carbon-fiber prosthesis did not give him an unfair advantage.
Innovative bikes lead to greater efficiency for athletes
The great strides made by technology are not just limited to the blades and wheelchairs. There are bicycles which have been made into a prototype Felt bike which has been customized according to the needs and preferences of certain athletes. USA’s Jamie Whitmore who hails from California also rides a prototype Felt bicycle which was made for her after she had suffered from partial paralysis in her left leg from cancer.
These bikes have been made out in a unique innovate technique which involves shifting of the chain and the gearing to the left side instead of right as is on every other bike. It is done to create more efficiency for the cyclists when they race in anti-clockwise tracks.
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Whitmore is a former professional mountain biker who has won one silver in Rio so far. She told AFP, “I want to go home and speak to Mr Felt and see if I can be riding that next year.” Her husband Courtney Cardenas who is a triathlete and sports announcer, had said that the bike costs around $80,000 and “has to be chaperoned wherever it goes.”
But the topic of discussion is how much of a difference do these expensive bikes really make and the athletes say that there is a difference but it is marginal. Cardenas said that the Felt bike gains just “fractions of a second.”
Jannik Blair, who is an Australian wheelchair basketball player explained, “Everything is already top of the line. Now it's things like minute changes in the types of metal we use. What matters is the customability and the ability to talk face to face with the person building the chair.”
But the main cause of concern for athletes hailing from nations who are not quite wealthy and undeveloped is that these gadgets cost a lot of money. This is why the Games are still being dominated by athletes from countries like Australia, China, Europe, North America and other economic powerhouses of the world.
Whitmore added, “It's about wheels, helmets, everything – and definitely the countries that have more investment are very strong on the track. I'd like to see more Latino women. It comes down to whom you get deals with and whom your being sponsored by.”
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Para-cyclist Jose Frank Rodriguez, from the Dominican Republic, spoke on the condition of the comparatively poor countries. He said, “I'm alone. I have no mechanic, no physio – just my coach and me.” He told AFP that his Canadian-made Cervelo bike is old but is good quality. He says that his bike hasn’t been custom-made for him and that makes the difference in why the Paralympic sport is not getting much preference in the poor countries even with the exposure the Games have been getting.
Rodriguez ended by saying, “We have talent but we need more support for the team.”
However, Whitmore was sympathetic towards the lesser known nations and had an inspirational message for them, “In the end, though, desire and muscle power, not fancy equipment, makes champions. You still have to have an engine. You can't sit on a couch and expect to win.”
