Can AI help a runner qualify for the Olympics? The short answer is yes. This year Olympics is the first to co-exist with ChatGPT and some athletes have used this AI to their benefit. John Heymans, a 5000-meter track runner, was also determined to qualify for the 2024 Olympics. He did have a problem, in 2022 he was still ranked outside the top 150 of the world and therefore nowhere near being able to qualify. John used the power of AI to his advantage to go from outside the top 150 world ranking to 42nd place in only 2 years (Instagram, 2024). He scrapped the internet for historic data on races around the world that helped previous track athletes increase their overall ranking, and let ChatGPT solve an optimization problem to calculate which races would be most beneficial for him. He followed the suggested plan, qualified for the Olympics, and became 11th in the final (Sporza, 2024).
A truly insane performance, but how could AI be beneficial for the average runner? Over the years, there have been several products popping up that incorporate AI to give runners better insight into their fitness levels. In 2023 Garmin, a technology company that sells activity trackers, releases their AI-generated workouts (Introducing Garmin’s Daily Workout Suggestions for Runners | Garmin, 2022). It gives you automated training plans based on all the data the watch collects. Herman Bonner, who works for one of Garmin’s daughter companies, says the biggest challenge is trust, “Anytime you’re giving advice, you first have to prove you are trustworthy” (Cochrane & Cochrane, 2023). The big question is, how far can AI take you in your journey to the Olympics? This of course depends on a million and one factors, and although for most people the AI-suggested workouts are probably not the most optimal way of training. Nevertheless, it’s still a good tool for people who have no idea how to train or are looking for new innovative ways to train (Cochrane & Cochrane, 2023).
References:
Cochrane, A., & Cochrane, A. (2023a, July 19). One runner followed his watch’s AI training plans for a month. Here’s what happened. Trail Runner Magazine. https://www.trailrunnermag.com/training/running-watch-ai-training-advice/
Cochrane, A., & Cochrane, A. (2023b, July 19). One runner followed his watch’s AI training plans for a month. Here’s what happened. Trail Runner Magazine. https://www.trailrunnermag.com/training/running-watch-ai-training-advice/
Introducing Garmin’s daily workout suggestions for runners | Garmin. (2022, June 27). Garmin Blog. https://www.garmin.com/en-US/blog/fitness/daily-workout-suggestions-for-runners/
Sporza. (2024, August 7). John Heymans, de bevlogen bio-ingenieur die dankzij ChatGPT in de olympische finale staat: “Het is gestoord.” sporza.be. https://sporza.be/nl/2024/08/07/john-heymans-de-bevlogen-bio-ingenieur-die-dankzij-chatgpt-in-de-olympische-finale-staat-het-is-gestoord~1723027243763/
Very interesting and relatable topic. I believe we can really achieve many more milestones thanks to GenAi.
This example further proves how important data collection is, especially data history. The more we understand from previous experiences/events, the more goals we can achieve in the future.