Technology propels Olympic success -- 19 August 2008

For the elite athletes gathered in Beijing, competing in the Olympics has become more of a science than an art.

Advances in sporting technology allow them new insights into their bodies and their performances.

Al Jazeera's Carrie Brown speaks to US swimmer Aaron Peirsol, a five-time gold medallist, about the physiological impact of competing at the highest level.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• china
• olympics
• sport
• science
• technology
• carrie
• brown
• aljazeera

[EIbrandedcontent]

I'm fascinated by althletes mindsets and physical ability to push themselves to extreme levels when competing... it's amazing.

[nubbs]

morocco, egypt, afghanistan, syria, turkey and pakistan have all sent muslim women to the olympics

islam allows women to compete in sports. some, like habiba gheribi of tunisia, competes in track and field and still covers her head and legs.

there is no law in islam against women going to the olympics. there isnt even anything in the koran that instructs women to completely cover themselves in public

only saudi arabia bans women, just like they ban them from driving

[samuelflower]

This is great to showcase how hard these Olympic atheletes have to train! They make it look so easy when they swim but it's actually alot of hard training and puts tremendous strain on their bodies. It would be interesting if they had monitors on Phelps or Aaron when they were actually competing in Beijing! Medical students would have an awesome research project with those two atheletes!

[andresrojas22]

balls on your chin nubbs

[FlatulenceFox]

Women still are not to drive or travel without the permission from a male family member in Saudi Arabia. With a society with such primitive laws restricting the movement and lives of women, there is no valid reason they can give for not allow women to compete in the Olympics.

[nubbs]

most olympians now use these crazy high tech body suits anyways, like you see in swimming and in track, which cover the arms and legs.

i'm sure a muslim woman who choses for herself to be covered could theoretically dive with a spandex body suit and a swim cap, which would cover most skin.

[ealshabaan]

and for the driving issue, it is also wrong not to allow women drive there

[ealshabaan]

"morocco, egypt, ...... there is no law in islam against women going to the olympics. "

-i agree 100%

"....there isnt even anything in the koran that instructs women to completely cover themselves in public"

-yes, nothing in the koran instructs women to "completely" cover. BUT, there is something that says they have to cover "most" of their body in public.

so, if you could find a game in the olympics that does not required uncovering, then women can go for it.

[ealshabaan]

it is simple, because women, in Islam, are not allowed to show most of their body to the public. so, whenever there is a situation like this, then they, the women, are not allowed.

[nubbs]

al jazeera should do a story on why saudi arabia does not allow women to compete at the olympics