As athletes push the limits of physical performance, we continue to see the emergence of new patented technologies, elevating sporting events to new heights.
Let’s start by going back to 776 BC, where Coroebus of Elis ran approximately 200 metres to win the stade or stadion race at the first Olympic games at the stadion located in Nemea, Greece[1].
Around 2,800 years later, Usain Bolt would also run 200 metres to win the men’s 200 metre sprint in Beijing, China - setting a new Olympic Record of 19.30 seconds[2].
200 metres in 776BC is 200 metres in 2008; and while we’ll never know exactly how fast Coroebus of Elis ran back in 776BC, the rapid evolution of sports equipment is evident. Bill Holland’s 24.0 second Olympic Record[3] in 1900 now stands in stark contrast to Bolt’s achievement, showcasing a 20% increase in speed in just over 100 years.
Patents driving sporting developments
At the core of any sporting event and its developments lie patentable technology. Over the decades, we’ve seen a shift from:
- digging holes in the soil to Bresnahan’s patent[4] for a starting block;
- dirt surfaces to the springy and grippy running track provided by Mondo’s various patented technologies[5];
- inappropriate (Coroebus of Elis ran naked) to appropriate and aerodynamic running clothing originating from Shivers’ patent[6] for the synthetic elastic fibre, now known as spandex;
- bare feet to athletic shoes with running spikes dating back to Pierce’s 1921 patent[7]; and
- human error-prone timing devices to the patented photo-finish timing and measuring devices which have kept Omega as the official timekeeper of the Olympics for almost 100 years[8].
Further developments from Fitbit, Garmin, Polar, and other companies specialising in health and performance data tracking have revolutionised the athletes’ training capabilities while Cade’s patented[9] formula, which was later purchased by Gatorade, has been hydrating the athletes throughout.
Patented products have also allowed for the extension of the Olympic schedule into the Paralympic events, these developments include Phillips’ patented[10] prosthetic foot and leg, leading to the current running blade technology.
The patent system
The core of the patent system is to reward an inventor with a monopoly over their invention for a given time frame, with the trade-off being the requirement to disclose their product, system, or method – thereby allowing others to advance from this disclosed technological knowledge.
Here, we can contextualise how Bolt shaved almost five seconds off Holland’s time, and how someone else may do the same in another 100 years.
If you believe your idea is the pathway to a new World Record, contact a member of AJ Park’s specialist patent team.
[1] ATTALUS, (Web page), accessed from https://www.attalus.org/armenian/euseb11.htm
[2] World Athletics, (Web page), accessed from https://worldathletics.org/records/by-discipline/sprints/200-metres/outdor/men
[3] Olympedia, (Web page), accessed from https://www.olympedia.org/results/56048
[4] Google Patents, (Web page), accessed from https://patents.google.com/patent/US1701026A/en?oq=US1701026A
[5] Mondo, (Web page), accessed from https://www.mondoworldwide.com/emea/en/products/mondotrack-ws/
[6] Google Patents, (Web page), accessed from https://patents.google.com/patent/US3023192A/en?oq=US+3023192
[7] Google Patents, (Web page), accessed from https://patents.google.com/patent/US1392704A/en?oq=1392704
[8] Danny Milton, (Web page), accessed from https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-man-responsible-for-timing-the-olympics-tells-us-how-its-done
[9] Lemelson MIT, (Web page), accessed from https://web.archive.org/web/20100A14181933/http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/cade.html
[10] Google Patents, (Web page), accessed from https://patents.google.com/patent/US4547913A/en?oq=US4547913A