How come Olympic records are broken so often?

Question

I'm specifically talking about swimming, in which I heard from a commentator that the longest standing record for any event is 3 olympics old. I've watched maybe 20 or 25 races so far this Olympics, and world/olympic records were broken on at least half of them, easily. I'm not just talking about Phelps, breaking records on every one of his swims; everyone else is doing it too. I remember seeing the world record being broken by 5 or 6 people in one single race multiple times.... I know that the pools are getting better and deeper and everything, but I don't see how records can just keep on getting shattered over and over again. Yes people are getting better at swimming, but records in most other sports stay longer than this.

Answer 1

This particular olympic event has new swimsuit technology worn by all the athletes as well as the amazing Micheal Phelps. I think in this particular olympics in terms of swimming the most world records will be broken in comparison to the previous ones.

Answer 2

People are always pushing themselves to become faster, stronger, and better. For example, I'm a rower and when we row we set a goal that is a faster time than we have acheived. NOT slower. Once we acheive that we move on for faster. The person with the fastest record works to beat that record. And it IS possible because you can always be that much better/stronger. There are better techniques and people are becoming more focused on sports as well.

Answer 3

Because the swimwear is very high tech...even down to how it's stitched together.......

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist...

Answer 4

How many are due to the new swimming outfits. ?

Answer 5

Steroids

Answer 6

A lot of people are speculating that it has to do with the swim suits that the Americans are wearing which has been proven to cut time.  It could also be that they have improved over the past four years.

Answer 7

Well..it makes sense right? That athletes would progress and improve.

But I agree..every race was a new world record, it kind of takes the excitement out of it.

Answer 8

I was contemplating this question also then I started to really think what it meant. We all know that one of the clear answers is the drug use involved in all sports today. It seems people will do anything for fame and cash, and sometimes they do. Just looking at the bodies on some of these women swimmers you can tell that they are just really big and strong (makes you wonder). Also, the times in swimming are broken down into hundredths of a second. This means that a record could be broken 100 times by 100 different people in that 1 second span (i know it does not happen like this but the small incriments do have an impact). There obviously will be a plateau. You can look at all the world records over the past 40 years and while the times are a lot better, they are still in the same spectrum when bringing into account training procedures and clothing.

Answer 9

the material that is used for the suits is supposed to repel water. it was predicted thru the year this new material would lead to records being broken in Beijing.

I think in other years sport "supplementS and sports technology" ( performance enhancing) each year improves the ability of these athletes more so than other sports because of its ease of movement and the lack of jarring on the body

Answer 10

new technological suits provide better times. also in those fouur years preparing for the games, the workout machines have improved so greatly that modern athletes are in so much better shape then previous athletes, so therefore they get better swimming times

Answer 11

havent u been listining to the commentators saying that it is the genaration

Answer 12

I was wondering the same thing, I'll check back on this answer !