by A. Khuny
After I have mentioned
an example from ski jumping in one of my comments last week, I have decided to
dedicate a whole blog entry on this sport, which has been frequently surrounded
by some of the ethical issues we have discussed so far.
Before I start
addressing these issues in more detail, however, I would like to give a brief
insight into the sport itself: Even though ski jumping (or ski flying as it is
often referred to) might be a rather exotic sport in the US, it is one of the
most popular winter sports in many Central and Northern European countries.
Events like the Four Hills Tournament – a series of four competitions held in
Germany and Austria – attract thousands of spectators and millions of viewers
in front of the TV. The world record in sky flying is held by the Norwegian
jumper Johan Remen Evensen, who landed at 246.5 meters (800 feet) in 2011.
However, as pointed
out in the beginning, ski jumping has always been accompanied by many controversial
issues. In my last last week’s comment I have mentioned the modified bindings used by Suisse ski jumper Simon Amman during the 2010 Winter Olympics in
Vancouver. In fact, this was not the first time equipment has lead to debates.
There are many examples of athletes who were disqualified for wearing skis or
jump suits that did not meet the regulations. An article on Thrive Sports mentions
a US ski jumper who was disqualified from the large hill competition
in the 2010 Winter Olympics, due to suit violations. The article furthermore
points out how complex the regulations in ski jumping are by making references to
the official FIS regulations:
Ski jumping equipment regulations include specifications about logo size and , ski length (based on the athlete’s body/mass index), ski width, contour, length, shape, flexibility, and durability (based on screw retention strength in the area of the binding mounting).
Ski jumping suits have to be equally permeable from inside and outside. They have specifications about fabric (81% Polyamid gloss dtex 44f12, 19% Elasthane dtex 44f1), and how the fabric should be fit together (either a hot-melt process or flame laminated, during which 4 specific steps are necessary—no more, no fewer).
Historically, ski jumpers have also tried to bend the rules by increasing their uniforms ability to catch wind. They were assigned their regulation suit size and then undergo massive diets to lost weight and increase the “sail” effect of the cloth. Officials addressed that problem by requiring suits to be fitted to an athlete within a few centimeters. (Moores, 2014, para. 8-10)
Unlike any other sports, technical equipment plays a big
role in ski jumping and often leads to the fact that it is not the best athlete
who wins in a competition, but the ones who have a technological advantage with regard to the
development of their skies, bindings or jump suits. Besides that, changing
weather conditions during a competition, like wind, snowfall or rain, can
influence the outcomes drastically.
The article by Moores also comments on athletes' BMI
(body mass index). The weight of ski jumpers is another issue that has often been discussed very controversial. Surrounding the 2010 Winter Olympics The New York
Times released an article titled “Battle of Weight Versus Gain in Ski Jumping“, which states that, “a weight loss of a kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, could result
in added distance of two to four meters, or 6 ½ to 13 feet” (Longman, 2010,
para. 3). Due to their light weight ski jumpers have always been brought into connection with
eating disorders, like bulimia or anorexia. And even though this seems to have
changed for the better during the last couple of years, due to new regulations and better screening of athletes,
there are examples from the past that provide evidence for the occurrence of eating disorders among athletes. Moores (2010)
mentions the example of the German Sven Hannawald, who not only had to deal
with eating disorders and as a consequence had to resign from professional ski
jumping, but suffered from mental disorders beyond his career.
One final aspect about controversial aspects in ski
jumping I would like to bring up, is the danger of ski jumping itself. Even
though it is often claimed that ski jumping is a safe sport, in that the
number of injuries is relatively small (compared to other sports), a fall from
a gigantic jump can lead to serious injuries, as happened to Austrian ski
jumper Thomas Morgenstern, who sustained severe head and lung injuries after a
fall during practice in 2014, that eventually formed his decision to resign
from professional ski jumping. In order to protect the athletes, a jury, that oversees the competition has the right reduce the length of a jump's inrun and stop or abort a competition due to unbearable weather conditions. However, juries have often been accused by athletes or coaching staffs for putting the risk of athletes on jeopardy, as it was the case when Austrian ski jumper Gregor Schlierenzauer fell during his 224 m flight in Vikersund, Norway in 2009.
The issues mentioned above aim to provide a brief
overview about some ethical dilemmas in a sport that is not very popular in the
US. The list of issues brought up in this article by no means claims to be complete and a variety of topics may be
added to it. For example, one aspect that would be worth discussing is the fact that
until lately women were not allowed to compete in Winter Olympics. As for
this blog post, I would be interested if you can relate some of the issues mentioned to other sports.
References:
Clarke, L. (2014, February 11). Women's ski
jumping makes Olympic debut. Retrieved February 1, 2015, from
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/womens-ski-jumping-makes-olympic-debut/2014/02/11/e14542fe-9365-11e3-83b9-1f024193bb84_story.html
Longman, J. (2010, February 11). Battle of
Weight Versus Gain in Ski Jumping. Retrieved February 1, 2015, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/12/sports/olympics/12skijump.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Moores, G. (2014, February 16). Anders Johnson
disqualified for equipment violation. Retrieved February 1, 2015, from
http://thrivesports.com/2014/02/16/anders-johnson-disqualified-equipment-violation/
New Ski Flying World Record - 246,5m Johan
Remen Evensen
(2011, February 11). Youtube.com [video file].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvfo4W0NV64
Ski Jumping WC - 4.1.15 - Innsbruck-Bergisel - Hill Record of Michael Hayböck: 138 m ! (2015. January 4). Youtube.com [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwkNf48Fy4I
Vikersund 2009 - Gregor Schlierenzauer 224m
Fall (2011, January 20). Youtube.com [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMHL3b5t4qQ
Andreas,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this in-depth information about issues related to ski jumping. I have only watched during the Olympics since, as you mentioned, it does not seem to be as popular in the U.S. I do remember hearing about the Vancouver Olympics when the IOC added women's ski jumping. I knew that safety was always the primary concern. But if it was unsafe for women, why wasn't that a concern about men who did it? I wondered how fast ski jumpers went and found the following link that says they may go up to 65 mph: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1899&dat=19880209&id=ExIgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QmYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3841,1006820 That speed in itself would seem to increase the likelihood of serious injuries. When I biked cross country, we went downhill from high mountains in California and Colorado. Whenever we did, I squeezed the brakes as tightly as I could so that I wouldn't go too fast. Many of the male riders loved flying down the mountains at speeds in excess of 50-60 miles. It may be exhilarating when you do that - in biking or ski flying - but what about if and/or when you fall? I can only imagine that such falls could be life-threatening. That's why you probably won't see me trying it anytime soon:-)
Thanks again for sharing about the ethical issues related to ski jumping.
Dr. Spencer
Andreas,
ReplyDeleteI found a link to an article that tells of Phil Mickelson being accused of cheating in golf for using a "Ping-eye 2 wedge" which had been banned by the PGA. However there was a lawsuit about it so technically he was allowed to use it. Being accused of cheating in golf is quite serious.
Here is the link: http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=4870852
Dr. Spencer
This was very insightful. I really did not know much about the sport beyond watching it on TV during the winter Olympics. When you mentioned the bit about the clothing and all of the regulations in place, it reminded me of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Just prior to this Olympics, Speedo developed a full body swimsuit with technology to increase hydrodynamics in the water. At the time, I remember watching the events and listening to the commentators talk about the suits and ethical issues behind the wear in the sport. What I enjoy about the Olympics is the head to head competition. It doesn’t matter what your PR is, or how many successful races you have had in the past. What matters is how good you are in that moment, when it is all on the line. When the ethical discussions began about the suits, I thought, who cares? If everyone is wearing them, then what does it matter?
ReplyDeleteEventually, the suits were banned by FINA (international governing body for swimming). The suits were banned in order to obtain consistency between the years, so that records could be broken without the aid of new technology.
Some sport enthusiasts advocated for time reductions, or excluding the new records made by those in the new suits. Do you think this is an ethical thing to do?
Link to article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/sports/25swim.html?_r=0
Matthias E. Reiber
With regard to the safety aspect Dr. Spencer commented on and that was used to prevent women from participating in ski jumping, the article I linked in my blog entry states the following:
ReplyDelete"While men’s ski jumping boasts a storied place in the Winter Olympics, among the eight original sports contested at the inaugural event in 1924, women’s efforts to join the competition had been refused for myriad reasons — among them, a medically unfounded belief, shared by a former president of the International Skiing Federation, that the cumulative effect of landing ski jumps would damage women’s reproductive organs." (Clarke, 2014, para. 8)
Clarke, L. (2014, February 11). Women’s ski jumping makes Olympic debut. Retrieved February 4, 2015, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/womens-ski-jumping-makes-olympic-debut/2014/02/11/e14542fe-9365-11e3-83b9-1f024193bb84_story.html
Andreas
Some of the controversial aspects that you brought up are also often found in the sport of gymnastics. Many athletes and coaches believe it is an extreme advantage to be light weight when competing. Unfortunately this can lead to athletes taking extreme measures to accomplish this. Eating disorders and other psychological disorders are difficult to treat and sometimes even challenging just to detect. Growing up as a gymnast and working with gymnasts now, I think the people surrounding the athlete have a great influence and can make a difference when dealing with psychological disorders. Social support from athletics staff and teammates plays a large role in the recovery of athletes.
ReplyDeleteI am fortunate to work with a very supportive staff here at BG. It is interesting for me to see the way freshman deal with injuries or issues during their first semester in college. I can tell that some athletes are not used to receiving support from coaches or teammates. They are even surprised when the coaches tell them to stop practicing in order to allow their body to heal. I know I am extremely lucky to be working in this type of environment because in some places that is not always the case. Like Andreas mentioned with ski jumping, some athletes will do whatever it takes in order to win, even if it is extreme dieting or putting their health at risk with some of the skills they train.
Allie McDavitt