High-tech shoes cause concerns

Eight runners line up at the Reichsbrücke Bridge in Vienna, Austria, under a maroon Ineos 1:59 banner. It’s October 2019 and each runner sports black jerseys and neon pink shoes, except for the man in the center, Eliud Kipchoge.

Crowds of people to the side jostle for a view. With bright white Nike shoes and a stoic expression, Kipchoge looks forward and sets out to do what others have deemed impossible.

One hour and fty-eight minutes later, Kipchoge dashes to the nish, pointing and waving at spectators. e clock reads, “Uno cial: 1:59:40,” marking the rst successful sub-two-hour marathon e ort, equivalent to an average pace of four minutes and thirty-four seconds per mile for 26 miles. Family members, spectators and reporters swarm over and lift Kipchoge up as a wave of ecstasy spreads across the city.

On Kipchoge’s feet are a set of prototype Nike Alpha ys — the latest version of Nike’s super shoes.

e release of the original Vapor y in 2016 saw scores of records broken for runners wearing the shoes, leading to controversy and the labeling of similar technologies as “technological doping.”

Nike’s shoes contrast with traditional racing ats designed for maximum weight reduction, featuring an energy-returning ZoomX foam. e featured carbon plate acts less like a spring and more as a stabilizer to reduce foot ex. According to results from experiments conducted by e New York Times, Nike and another research group that included a University of Colorado professor, these technologies contribute to roughly a 4% advantage in speed for Vapor y users.

For Hong Wan, an adult marathon runner who uses Vapor y shoes for racing, the shoes provide a discernible advantage.

“( e Vapor y) almost makes you feel like you are propelled forward because the sole is pretty thick,” Wan said. “My pace on that day, on my rst run, was 30 seconds faster than I had expected.”

Varsity runner sophomore Kinga Czajkowska said the shoes provide an unfair advantage for those who can a ord them, with the Vapor y costing $250 and the Alpha y costing $275.

“A lot of them are pretty expensive,” Czajkowska said. “ at’s a problem. In cross country, of all sports, it’s nice because you don’t need very expensive equipment.”

Sophomore cross country and track runner Stefan Sochacki, who owns more budgetfriendly Adidas racing shoes, said a ordable alternatives exist. ough less famous than the Vapor y, the Adidas shoe features similar foam technologies for a lower price.

“For Nike, I’d say it just has a big name that makes it carry a heavy price,” Sochacki said. “It’s not really the technology

Gavin Lin Guest Writer

Following a win at home against Homestead on Jan. 19, the girls basketball team (10-2) hopes to continue to improve on its communication and chemistry, sophomore Katherine Garr said.

“We’re more willing to communicate with each other and talk with each other and help each other on the court,” Garr said. “We trust each other more. at helped us win.”

Senior and point guard Kaella Peters said bonding has allowed the team to be more successful.

“I think that all the team bonding stu that we did before the game really helped to make sure that we had a fun experience during games,” Peters said. “(Our progress) showed in our games and plays.”

Head coach Scott Peters said trust on the team will help immensely, especially after summer training.

“It takes a lot of sacri ce to be a team,” Scott said. “You have to put your individual goals aside. In the summer, we work on developing our individual skills, and then when we come into the season, we want to mold that into how the team works. So as far as that goal, it’s going to depend on the girls deciding if they want to be a team.”

Although the team has improved, Scott said the girls still need to work hard to compete for the league championship.

“(For) our other goals such as winning league and winning CCS, those have yet to be decided,” Scott said. “We’ve put ourselves in a position where we can compete for the league title, so these next couple of weeks are super important for us to see if our work is going to pay o .”

However, Scott said he is con dent in the team’s ability to adjust to meet the standards of any game.

“Sometimes, it’s asking some players to do something other than what they’ve worked on,” Scott said. “ at’s what the team needs, and you can see how that worked on our game with Homestead. Whether it’s playing a di erent position or adjusting their game, that’s what it takes to form a team.” itself (that drives the high prices) because I think there’s as good shoes (from other brands).”

Despite the controversy, the Vapor y complies with the current World Athletics stack height standards.

World Athletics banned the prototype Alpha y shoes in 2020 but the public Alpha y Next% is race legal.

Czajkowska and Sochacki, as well as cross country and track and eld coach Michael Davidson, said the use of the term “technological doping” unfairly compares highperformance running shoes to drug use.

“I wouldn’t put (highperformance shoes) on the same e varsity wrestling team dominated Cupertino High School 66-10 for a victory in their last home game of the season on Jan. 27. Senior night celebrations were also in full swing as friends and family watched the seniors compete in the nal home match of their high school wrestling career.

Freshman Xander Deisseroth said he will miss the seniors, who have mentored him throughout the season.

“(Senior night) was a really cool moment because (the seniors have) been mentors to people like me, and I’ll be sad to see them go,” Deisseroth said.

Despite having been on the team for only one season, senior Joseph Rose — who defeated his opponent in under ten seconds — said he has already developed a passion for wrestling.

“It’s been a very unique situation to join the sport as a senior and then actually fall in love with the sport so late,” Rose said. “But I cannot ask for a better last home (game). e crowd de nitely brought the energy, which was a great advantage for us. It’s a bittersweet moment.”

Coach Jonathan Kessler said he hopes to help the seniors achieve their goals before they graduate.

“Some of these seniors have goals in mind, the ones that have been here for a few years, and we’re going to do our best to help them attain these goals,” Kessler said. “We look forward to putting them in positions to score points for us and get their hands raised.” level,” Davidson said. “When you talk about drug enhancement, you’re changing the chemistry of the body to be able to train harder and to be able to do di erent things that your body can’t normally do. You’re not changing that with a pair of shoes.”

Davidson said athletic training, dedication and preparation are ultimately more important than the shoes runners wear, and high-tech shoes aren’t a replacement for hard work.

“When you get to the elite, (a runner wearing Vapor y shoes) will be like a professional baseball player using an aluminum bat as opposed to a wooden bat,” Davidson said. “It’s going to give you as much vibration, and it’s going to be a lot sti er when it hits, so obviously the ball is going to carry a lot further. ere’s an advantage, but at the same time, you still have to be able to hit the ball. (Ultimately,) it’s your choice to (use the shoes) or not to.”

Henry Liu Sta Writer

For some seniors, wrestling has been more than just a competition — it has become a place to learn and grow as people.

Senior Philip Santiago said wrestling has taught him many life lessons that he will carry with him beyond his wrestling career. “(My high school wrestling career) means a lot to me. I’ve made a lot of friends. We spend two or three hours every day in the (wrestling) room,” Santiago said. “And it’s taught me so much about myself and other people, and I love it.”

Rose said wrestling has become a safe space and a break from the outside world for him.

“Wrestling is a very underground community, a very tight-knit community. It’s given me almost a sanctuary, like walking into the room,” Rose said. “It’s one place where I can kind of go to not have to deal with anything outside.”

Senior Philip Santiago said he has mixed feelings about leaving wrestling.

“It’s kind of sad,” Santiago said. “But I think that it’s prepared me for life and taught me a lot about myself, and I’ve noticed I’m a lot better at a lot of things. I’m excited to stop, but I’m also kind of sad that it’s ending, since it’s been such a fun time.”

Kessler said he was thankful for the recognition the wrestlers received for their hard work.

“I appreciate all the support. is sport often gets overlooked, and a lot of people don’t know the hard work these wrestlers put in,” Kessler said. “ ese guys and girls are working their tails o , and we’re happy about it.”