"How Technology is Changing the Limits of Athletic Performance” by Dr. David Zinn

Name: "How Technology is Changing the Limits of Athletic Performance” by Dr. David Zinn
Start: 2026-04-28T17:30:00-04:00
End: 2026-04-28T19:00:00-04:00
Location: The Arts Center of Greenwood

Schedule

Tue Apr 28 2026 at 05:30 pm to 07:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

The Arts Center of Greenwood | Greenwood, SC

Lander University Community Lecture Series: “Better, Faster, Stronger? How Technology is Changing the Limits of Athletic Performance” by Dr. David Zinn
Date: Tuesday, April 28
Time: 5:30 - 7:00 pm (refreshments and libations available @ 5:30 pm, lecture begins @ 6:00 pm)
Address: The Arts Center of Greenwood, 120 Main Street, Greenwood, SC 29646
Admission: FREE & OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY
Description: Technology has transformed the world of sports, from how athletes train and recover to the gear they wear to the surfaces on which they compete. But this raises a compelling question: Are today’s athletes truly better than those of the past, or are they simply enhanced by innovation? In 1936, American track athlete Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics. However, if he were to compete against today’s Olympians, would he stand a chance? More broadly, are modern records and performances the result of superior athletes or superior tools? This lecture explores how advancements in equipment, training methods, and sports science have changed the boundaries of athletic performance. Developments in areas such as nutrition, recovery, biomechanics, and data analytics can reveal how the boundaries of human achievement and possibility have shifted in recent decades. Building on these changes, this discussion will also consider the limits of human potential. How far and fast can the body truly go? Are we approaching the edge of natural performance, or are we just beginning to unlock it? As technology becomes increasingly central to competition, what are the implications for fairness, tradition, access, and the future of sport?
Biography: David Zinn is an Assistant Professor of Sport Management in the College of Business at Lander University, where he also serves as the NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative. A former collegiate basketball coach and NCAA athletic director, he holds a BS in Secondary Education from West Virginia University, an MS in Sport Management from the University of Tennessee–Knoxville, an MA in Secondary Education from Cumberland College (KY), and an EdD in Global Sport Leadership from East Tennessee State University. A recipient of both the Junior Faculty Teaching Award and the Alston Award at Lander, Dr. Zinn’s research focuses on sport performance, sport geography, sport and event security, and leadership.
Event Contact: [email protected], 864.388.7800 / Mark Rollins, [email protected]