The primary thrust in the science of ergonomics is to improve human performance, and the Olympic Games, events that ostensibly pit the greatest athletes in the world against each other in face-to-face competition, are all about human performance. Athletic competition, however, is a case where gains in human performance are made for the most part by modifying the human, not the required task, equipment, and environment. If an athlete is not in absolute top physical condition and has not mastered the tasks of the game, his or her chances of victory quickly diminish. Having the 2002 Winter Olympics in our own back yard
