This blog post examines why sports inevitably remain cautious about adopting new technologies despite technological advancements, and the background behind this.

The Dilemma of Full-Body Swimsuits and Technology Adoption

While technological advancements in sports are seen as tools that enhance performance and ensure accuracy, there is a risk that over-reliance on them can obscure the individual skills, physical fitness, and tactical abilities of athletes. For example, full-body swimsuits in swimming exemplified this. While full-body swimsuits reduced athletes’ body resistance, enabling faster times, they also dramatically widened the gap between those who used them and those who did not. This led to criticism that the intrinsic value of the sport was being undermined by technical equipment. For this reason, the swimming federation decided to restrict the use of full-body swimsuits, an attempt to strike a balance between technological advancement and traditional competition methods.

Resistance to Technology Adoption and Shared Cultural Identity

Resistance to technology adoption stems not merely from fear of change as new devices replace existing methods. Technology often also acts as a factor threatening public access to the sport. In a reality where not everyone can afford high-priced full-body swimsuits or advanced equipment, competition formats reliant on such gear clash with the essence of sport as a ‘shared culture’. When elements that hinder public access to sports are introduced, the sport risks becoming a domain accessible only to a select few.
Thus, for a particular sport to maintain its characteristics as a shared culture, two elements are essential: ‘universality’ and ‘accessibility’. This is precisely why soccer is inevitably more reluctant than tennis to adopt Hawk-Eye. As the world’s most widely loved sport, soccer must remain easily accessible at low cost. Introducing advanced equipment like Hawk-Eye increases stadium equipment and operational costs, diminishing public accessibility. Conversely, sports like fencing or tennis, with relatively smaller shared communities, adopted technology earlier and accepted new systems within a more limited scope.

Harmonizing Sustainable Development and Public Accessibility in Sports

Unconditionally rejecting or opposing technology is not the solution. Technology is also a crucial tool that can ensure fairness in competition, reduce controversy over refereeing errors, and provide spectators with a more sophisticated sporting experience. For example, the introduction of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) in soccer has significantly enhanced the fairness of the game. However, it is essential to coordinate these technologies so they are accessible to all segments of society without burdening the public.
In this process, support at the social and policy levels is crucial. For instance, establishing programs to introduce technical sports equipment or advanced devices in public schools and local sports facilities can provide people of diverse ages and backgrounds with opportunities to easily experience and understand cutting-edge sports technology. Such measures are necessary not only for social reciprocity but ultimately for the long-term development of sports.
Therefore, it is important to consider technology adoption not merely as a tool for improving performance, but as a means to simultaneously maintain accessibility and ensure fairness. This will help sports establish itself as a shared culture in its own right, enabling more people to experience its true value.