No More World Records After 2060

There will be no new sporting world records after 2060 as humans will have reached their physiological limits, French scientists have said.

The conclusion by experts at the biomedical and epidemiological institute of sport, Irmes, followed analysis of 3,260 world records set since 1896 — the year of the first modern Olympics.

Then, athletes used 75 per cent of their physical capacity, while today, according to the study, they use about 99 per cent.

After looking at five disciplines — athletics, cycling, weightlifting, swimming and speed skating — the researchers are convinced that the human race will soon hit a wall.

“It’s the beginning of the end,” said Jean-François Toussaint, the head of Irmes.

Some current records are likely never to be broken, such as 10.49 seconds for the women’s 100 metres set by Florence Griffith-Joyner, in 1988. Toussaint suggested that in the future records should be less important than the way a race is run and the quality of the sporting contest.

***** Very interesting conclusion. But one can't rule out the emergence of exceptional men and women who could turn the physiologists' theory on its head. We'll just have to wait another five to six decades to see if the human spirit and determination can transcend the physical limitations of the body. Will we be witnessing the advent of superhumans?
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