To quote a recent review [1] 'the upward trends in athletic performance can be observed in a wide range of sports from sprinting to golf. There are ranges of factors that contribute to these observed increases. Some, such as improved levels of fitness and technique, are related to the human element of competition. Others are associated with sports equipment design and the construction materials. In field athletics, for example, different factors have contributed to improvements in performance in different disciplines: events such as the hammer are dominated by the human element, whereas the pole vault is strongly affected by materials technology.