Citius, altius, fortius: The crucial role of composites in sports

This chapter reviews the multiple applications of composites in sports from a historical perspective, and the crucial role of composite materials in gaining performance, comfort, safety, and freedom of design in many sports applications. The focus is placed on Olympic sports, addressing composites' role in 15 different competition sports, ranging from water sports to cycling, from fencing to athletics and winter sports. Common trends are the benefits of using fibre-reinforced composites to increase specific stiffness or strength, as well as energy restitution, which can be tailored from very elastic materials to high damping according to the required performance. Another key point is the versatility of composite materials combinations, as well as manufacturing techniques adapted to prototypes or tailored designs, and to appealing marketing presentations. Finally, the history of composites in sports is far from complete, as new material combinations, with a strong emphasis on performance combined with sustainability, enter this rich and fast-developing area each day.