Are Advancements in Push-Rim Wheelchair Technology Good for the Sport?
Or Creating Additional Barriers to Participation and Performance?
This past Sunday, we saw Marcel Hug roll to victory at the New York City Marathon to complete his sweep of the six world marathon majors in 2023. Winning is nothing new for Hug as he’s won more than 20 world marathon majors, a dozen Paralympic medals, and numerous world championships. But the chair that he’s dominating in is.
His Sauber OT FOXX chair comes with a price tag north of $50,000. Sauber, a Swiss Motorsport company who operates in the Formula 1 world alongside Alfa Romeo, has set out to design the fastest wheelchair ever; and they have the fastest athlete ever propelling it. This combination is creating an insurmountable divide between Hug and the rest of the podium; and even more so between Hug and other professionals. Daniel Romanchuk, who has also been winning marathons around the world, finished in 2nd place, nearly 5 minutes behind Hug.
It is worth noting that on the women’s side, Catherine Debrunner won her debut in New York City with a new course record in 1:39:32 in a Top End frame and Honda wheels. This set-up carries a hefty price tag of about $15,000, but one that is still less than the two other athletes on the podium. Manuela Schaer, who finished second in 1:47:54 and Susannah Scaroni, who rounded out the podium with a finishing time of 1:48:14 both race in Honda’s elite Kakeru Flagship wheelchair.
A discussion on technology is by no means diminishing the incredible accomplishments of these athletes, just raising the question of whether it will improve accessibility and effectively grow the popularity of the sport.
Every sport goes through cycles of technological advancements that is met with excitement by some and resistance from others. The introduction of super shoes in running has led to debate as to whether the technology invalidates the accompanying records. But in that scenario, the socioeconomics aren’t as much of a barrier as all of the elite athletes have access to sponsors who cover the cost of these shoes; which obviously carry a price tag nowhere near the value of these racing chairs.
As the technology evolves and more companies throw their hat in the ring, the price point will likely decrease and models that were once superior will trickle down to sub-elite and recreational athletes. This will benefit the masses, but not initially. The technological disparity in the sport is placing the majority of athletes at an insurmountable disadvantage; one that may prevent them from the financial implication of being on the podium and garnering the recognition they need to attract sponsors and support. Perhaps they can adopt a similar strategy as F1, placing a price cap on racing chairs.
What do you think? 👇🏻
#Accessibility #Inclusion #Paralympics #StrengthAndConditioning #AdaptiveSports #WheelchaiUser #Technology