World Athletics will rule in the coming months regarding the controversial Nike Vaporfly, and the judgment seems to be leaning toward banning their use in international competitions. We had talked about it here and, summarizing, the crux of the issue is about whether or not the advantage they give the runner in terms of momentum is permissible. In other words: is it mechanical doping or not?
This question will be answered by the committee appointed for the occasion, commenting in particular on AlphaFly, the prototype equipped even with 3 carbon plates used by Kipchoge to set the world record over the marathon distance last October in Vienna, when he fell under two hours for the first time in history.
The comission’s focus, rather than on the carbon plate drowned in the midsole, will be on its thickness, which in the Alphafly is 42 mm in the forefoot and at 51 in the heel. The measures, if taken, will result in a ban on their use in official competitions because the midsole thickness of the Vaporflys is considered excessive.
It’s like in F1
Kipchoge defends the shoes that helped make him the fastest man in the world, arguing that just as in F1 all the teams have the same tires but only one wins, the same applies in marathons: the shoes are the tires but the runner puts the engine in.
This is a supportable argument if all competitors had the same shoes, which is not the case in reality. What is certain is that other brands are developing models that use the same technology that couples midsole compound and carbon plate, with what results and performance gains yet to be seen.
The Vaporflys will not disappear: perhaps they will just have to comply with World Athletics decisions by reducing the midsole thickness.
What is certain is that they have pointed in a direction of running shoe technology development that other brands are also moving toward. A ban on them would also be a definitive answer to those who doubt that they really do make people run faster: if that were not true, there would be no reason to ban them because they are considered mechanical doping.
(via Telegraph)