Just how much impact on a sportsman does equipment have?
Would Roger Federer be the same player without the same top of the range tennis racket? Could Tiger Woods still dominate golf with a bog standard golf club? And would Michael Schumacher have won as many Formula 1 World Championships had he been driving a Minardi?
The issue has reared its head this week after swimming body Fina stipulated that swimsuits should not cover the neck and must not extend past the shoulders and ankles.
It has raised questions over the achievements of Rebecca Adlington, who won two gold medals in the Beijing Olympics last year.
It is harsh to bring her achievements under the microscope. Her undoubted talent should not be questioned. But there will be increased pressure on her at her next meet to ensure her standards do not drop as a result in a change of swimwear.
Equipment or teamwear should not give telling advantages to sportspeople, and there’s arguments both for and against to whether it does or not.
Two times Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso won a few races last year in the unfancied Renault car, proving his talent. Many F1 fans would have liked to have seen Michael Schumacher race in a lesser car than the Ferrari, and early in his career Benetton, that he dominated the sport with.
If Federer played with a wooden racket, he would still be better than everybody else, who of course would have to use a wooden racket too.
Equipment merely compliments the talents on show, it does not give sportsmen a telling advantage over others, and it is unfair on Adlington and others to suggest otherwise.
Pic Credit: Squidoo
