Sports are at their core tests – physical tests. This does not mean that sports have no mental component but sports are distinguished from other forms of play and recreation because of the physical test they provide. Technology could make sports easier. Golf balls could be made with a missile guidance system that guarantees a hole in one on every shot. Gels could be applied to rowing shell to eliminate drag or even easier would be adding a motor. Athletes could run across the field to get from the start to the finish line but they don’t. Athletes run around the track to test their skills. Technology that makes sports easier can usurp the challenge the sport provides. The sport would thus become a test among engineers and not athletes. The challenge allows athletes to quest excellence.
