It’s pretty clearly a 2-3% improvement, but all the old records already had asterisks from likely PED use.
The problem with PEDs is not the performance enhancement, but the access — not everyone can get them and people should not have to experiment with their health to participate on an equal playing ground. I see no issue with performance enhancement, especially if we re-focus the sport on racing (and less on times and records).
If it were really 4% on all distances, wouldn’t Jakob be running like 3:22 now? What, with the pacing lights and all that… even the jammer suits JI wears.. and continuously optimized protocols with bioinformatic devices and such. and what about the 400 meter and 800 meter dash?
For those already close to 100% of their lung capacity or close to 100% of their biomechanical limitations there won't be any 4% to "harvest" on the performance end.
I'd say the main benefit for all is an increase in recovery from less pummeling - but marketing the recovery end of things doesn't have the same ring to it as marketing the performance bit for the masses.
I would say if you are close to 100%, then applying something external would be the one way to improve by x %? Nick Willis himself felt the shoe made a 1 sec diff per lap (?)
"Willis reckons the new spike technology, which is powered by a superlight and highly responsive Pebax material, is worth between one to three seconds a mile, depending whether or not someone is a “high responder”. Another Olympian I spoke to, who wanted to remain anonymous, put the advantage at two to four seconds. Either way, it amounts to a change as seismic as when cinder tracks became synthetic."
In fact, Kipchoge already had supershoes in London 2016! Prototypes were around from late 2015. You can see on pictures he had a Streak upper with a thick sole, as were the first protos.
It's the same for Bekele's 2:03:03 of 2016, with a Vaporfly proto.
Studies have shown that the carbon plated spikes have had little to no improvement in times on the track. Some wr still haven't been broken yet (Mens 400, 800,1500, Womens 800, steeplechase just to name a few)
In fact, Kipchoge already had supershoes in London 2016! Prototypes were around from late 2015. You can see on pictures he had a Streak upper with a thick sole, as were the first protos.
It's the same for Bekele's 2:03:03 of 2016, with a Vaporfly proto.
This post made me suspicious of Kipchoge and Rupp at the 2016 Olympics.
From looking at the race footage clearly Nike made an effort to disguise the Vaporflys as the shoes are all in the same color way as the other Nike athletes.Nike could however not disguise that thick foam and stack height.