us vs australia Who leads the way in Sports Technology? Sean Foreman, Sports Tech Commentator ASK A HUNDRED different people what the future of technology in sports looks like and you’ll get a hundred different answers. With so many elements of so many different sports being impacted by new technology at a dizzying pace, no sooner have those in the industry gotten to grips with how to best use the existing tech than another potentially revolutionary piece of equipment hits the market. Broadcasting is facing a similar overhaul, with technology able to bring audiences closer to the game both inside the stadium and out. ESPN refers to Australia as the ‘epicenter of the [sports science movement],’ and even goes as far as to declare it the birthplace of the science. The assessment may seem hyperbolic, but Australia has made strides in both the production and application of wearable technology unparalleled the world over. At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Australia finished the competition with no gold medals. Malcolm Fraser, Prime Minister at the time, declared this unacceptable and set up the
Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), a body that has since been central to the country’s sports science proficiency. Today, one of the key reasons Australia is excelling is the fact that wearable technology is permitted during games, where in most US sports and in European soccer, for example, the technology is confined to the training field. It’s no surprise that Catapult, one of sports wearables’ industry leaders, is based in Melbourne. The company was born when engineers Shaun / 17