Accomplishments and compromises in prediction research for world records and best performances in track and field and swimming

The conductors of this study reviewed prediction research and studied the accomplishments and compromises in predicting world records and best performances in track and field and swimming. The results of the study showed that prediction research only promises to describe the historical trends in track and field and swimming performances, to study the limits of human body based on current data, to examine factors that affect human's running, jumping, throwing, and swimming, and to understand the characteristics of human beings. Prediction research cannot accurately predict new world records and future best performances. In the future, prediction research should become an integrated research field consisting of different specialty areas. Researchers need to develop a better model in which random variables could be separated out as independent variables in order to reflect the complex interaction effects and to understand the nature, characteristics, and limitations of humans using world record/best performance data.