I just received an email from the publisher of the journal Sports Engineering (Springer) telling me that it’s 20 years old. As the founding editor of the journal, this might explain why I feel so creaky and why I’ve suddenly felt the need to publish a book on the history, science and technology of sports […]
Graphing Athletics: The story of the marathon – update on the 2 hour barrier
The marathon event, is the longest running event held at the Olympic Games, where competitors race over a distance of 42.195 km (26.219 miles) on a set road course. The marathon distance became standardised in 1921 but a version of the marathon event was held at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The women’s marathon […]
Rocker ski technology: how to conquer the powder
Water skis on snow? Really? Although the idea might sound crazy to you and me, it made perfect sense to the late Shane McConckey, back in 1998. A professional skier and BASE jumper, Shane is considered to be the father of what is known as “rocker” technology, which has revolutionised the ski industry in the […]
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE WOODEN ICE HOCKEY STICK?
Technology has had a profound impact on the sporting world and it is the reason for the sudden disappearance of the wooden ice hockey stick. Over the last decade, there have been large advances in the technology of the ice hockey stick. Material, manufacturing and structural advances in composites have allowed manufacturers to create an ice […]
Why do the Dutch skate so fast? Speed skating: a tale of culture, courage and innovation
The speed skating events in the Olympics this weekend kicked off with a fully orange podium in the men’s 5k event. The woman’s 3k golden medal was also awarded to the Dutch. What is it with this little country that makes them so good at speed skating?
Top technologies in sport: number 3
The ingredients for the sports revolution During Queen Victoria’s reign between 1837 and 1901, the population of Britain more than doubled while the economy grew by over 360% (equivalent to an increase in GDP of 2% per year for over 60 years). In 1850 and 1878, two acts of Parliament gave factory workers half a […]
Top technologies in sport: number 2
The invention of the lawnmower allowed the middle classes of 1860s Victorian Britain to create lawns for the exciting new game of croquet. Croquet was about to be eclipsed, however, by the new game of Lawn Tennis, patented by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield in 1873 as a game that came in a box. Wingfield initially called […]
Top technologies in sport: Number 1
As a starting point for the beginning of modern sport, Victorian Britain is a pretty safe bet. Which technologies helped create modern sport as we know it? My next few articles will take you through the top technologies I think were crucial for the development of sport — and they’re not necessarily the ones you might […]
When did sports technology begin?
I’ve often wondered, if I were to write a history of sports technology, when I should start? In 774 BC at the inception of the Ancient Olympic Games? Or in 300 AD at the height of the Roman Empire? By this time the Games had expanded to include the pentathlon, racing in armour and even […]
Engineering Sport 