Originally Posted by kbarch

This is where competitions involving equipment become absurd.
While there may be some nominal advantage, whatever advantage it is must be ignored as insignificant in any race or game. Governing bodies establish rules for equipment to be used, and if one gets involved, one must accept those rules as sufficient for a fair competition. If one does NOT believe the rules establish sufficient fairness, then one should follow or play a different game or enter a different race - it would be bad faith otherwise.
Now, it may be that some participants find a way to gain some advantage by manipulating some aspect of their equipment in a way that hasn't been defined or controlled by the rules. This is how monstrosities like TT bikes and the current version of Americas Cup yachts come about. I realize that the human element of sports remain the same even as the equipment changes, and a thorough understanding of the equipment is important, but the obsession with equipment is unnecessary and seems misguided to me - it misses the point. It isn't a personal defeat when someone wins with equipment that gives them an advantage, but it is disappointing. Even if it's not cheating, clearly they didn't want to be on a level playing field, or they wanted to play a different game, so to speak.