IAAF Statement on Drummond

[MJD]

Re: IAAF Statement on Drummond

>The CBC generally doesn't miss much. I doubt
>they'd take the effort to show the entire women's
>10k (where I correctly picked all three
>medalists!) and just dump the men's race!

I guess they showed 75% of the men's 10km on the French CBC. Read that and weep.

[Conway]

Re: IAAF Statement on Drummond

Back to Drummond ... Just a few thoughts ...

First off I agree with Garry in that there should be some room for human interpretation .. We have placed the fates of individuals in the hands of machines who - for example in this case - do not have the ability to see that the "law" (gaining unfair advantage - or even leaving the blocks) was not broken ... THAT is not a matter of PR or Marketing but of controlling and operating a FAIR race for the participants ... People continue to forget that ultimately track and field is about the competitors ... Yes we in the stands like to be appeased ... And yes we hope to attract more fans ... BUT without athletes and greaet competition there is NOTHING to offer !!! Athletes were wronged here and that is not right ...

Getting back to machines taking over, this is actually similar to the 2000 Olympic 200 final ... Capel knew he flinched but NO false start was called NOR the field reset ... Why ??
Cause the damned machine didn't call it, even though the starter knew what the right thing to do was ... But again the relying on the machine to run the event ... Technology is great ... But for every computer there is an OPERATOR ... Comeone to ensure that it functions properly ... The starter is supposed to be that operator ... HE (or she) is supposed to be the final word ... The one with a sense of objectivity on the track ... They are supposed to correct the errors that are made on the track ...

As far as Drummonds antics (still unseen by us here in the States) everyone is commenting based on their sitting comfortably at home or in the stadium as a non active participant ... Quite different when you are in a race, on the track, hours of training on the line, and you are awaiting to run one of the most important races in your life !!! Athletes are psyched up, emotionally high, ready to explode dowon the track ... They are emotionally engaged, pationate about what is about to occur ... Not saying that all he did was "appropriate", but I am saying I can understand his "explosion" over soemthing so improtant being snatched from him in an instant of apparent stupidity !!! Let someone take some equally important from you for apparently no particular reason and see how you react ... I for one probably would have had "some type" of outburst myself ... Its human nature ...

[Guest]

Re: IAAF Statement on Drummond

I'll admit right away that I'm not familiar with the history of the new false start rule, but I think it's silly. While it's intent may be to speed things up and keep the runners honest (no anticipating the gun), it also provides a less capable athlete the opportunity to gain an unfair advantage.

Suppose Runner A and Runner B are in a race. Runner B is considered the faster of the two. However, most of the advantage comes from his superior start -- otherwise, the two cover the 100m in the same time. In this scenario, Runner A can gain an advantage by intentionally false starting. This would force Runner B to hold back his start a bit the second time around -- fearing a false start on his part would DQ him. Runner A can now focus on his normal start having possibly gained an extra few 100th's of a second on B.

If the start of the 100m is an important part of the race, then an athlete shouldn't be forced to adjust his routine becasue of the actions of others.

[Guest]

Re: IAAF Statement on Drummond

In a news story written by Justin Palmer in Reauters dated 8/24/03, Palmer quotes in his story that the after seeing the video of the start Drummond admitted he was at fault and accepted the decision . This was in a offical release from the IAAF as told in the news story. For what ever it`s worth...I myself have a hard time with this new rule, I agree with the above post in many of its points....I would rather see them go to a single false start then keep the present system.

[michael lewis]

Re: IAAF Statement on Drummond

Which is why it should be one false start period then get the race on with the remaining athletes.

[6 5.5hjsteve]

Re: IAAF Statement on Drummond

I just saw the IAF statement that Drummond and Cain have been officially chastized and that now it's up to USATF to come up with a response.

Just a few comments here:

Did Drummond get a bad deal ? Probably.

Was Drummond's behavior improper ? Absolutely. He infringed on the rights of all the other runners by his histrionics.

I am sick and tired of people always making excuses for the behavior of athletes.

Jonn Drummond is nota bad person but he blew this one big time. He took a bad situation and made it worse. And I do not know who Cain is but he just added fuel to Drummond's fire.

And if Drummond had left the track without excessive protesting, and made an appeal, who knows, maybe he might have been given an opportunity to ran in a later heat, or even advanced to the SF's. But after his tantrum and his trampling on the rights of all the other athletes ? No way.

Sorry Jon, but it's time to go home.

[Guest]

Re: IAAF Statement on Drummond

Yes the RdI French channel had 20 minutes of the mens 10k.The 10k is beyond reason, if you saw the splits of the final 5k. I am a former NCAA canadian distance runner. Not a big J Drummond fan , but there is right and wrong. This is a competition for the "athletes" , if in doubt run the race and make a decision latter. I believe Drummond and the American shot putter both recieved bad calls. Cheers

[Guest]

Re: IAAF Statement on Drummond

I don`t want to beat a dead horse but I`d like to make a comment in reference to the false start rule (lets forget about the Drummond antics for a moment)....first off, is the response time for sprinters ( 0.100) really the limit ..are moving the feet around on the block peddle giving the runner an advantage. I myself liked to be set and still in the blocks, so I don`t think moving around is of any advantage. And when body weight is keep on the line and not rolling over the line then once again, no advantage is gained. If there is no forward momentum then once again, no advantage has been gained.
It is important for a sprinter to create force in the blocks with both feet firmly in place so as to " break away from the blocks " during drive and acceleration phase...where is the advantage from not being firmly in the blocks.
Good sprinters train to use the blocks, accelerate with the use of it, this requires both feet , not jiggleing feet.
My point... as stated in the current rules what happened the other day was a " false start ", as stated in the rules. But I think we should get away from what a bunch of bureaucrats think is best for the sprinters and let the sprinters and coaches decided whats best for the event..trying to keep the meet moving along is just not a good reason. And what the computer says at track side is just not good enough. Too much hard work is put into the training of athletes ( I know..I hurdled at a Div.l school and have been coaching at the college level )....to get thrown out for slight movement of the foot when no advantage has been gained makes me sick...And the sport looks bush league when we can`t even get a race started without it looking like a circus. we`ve taken what should be a simple thing and turned it into a problem

[Guest]

Re: IAAF Statement on Drummond

"hjsteve" mentioned seeing IAAF statement about Drummond and Cain. Here's the lead on IAAF media advisory this afternoon (Monday, 25 Aug 2003):
-----
France, Paris St-Denis.
"The Advisory Board has studied the behaviour of Jon Drummond (USA), who refused to leave the track following his disqualification after a false
start, and USA Track and Field Team Admin Officer Michael Cain, who ran onto to the track to advise Drummond not to accept his disqualification, and has concluded that, in both cases, the behaviour was improper, unsporting and has brought the sport of athletics into disrepute. ..."

[blacklily]

Re: IAAF Statement on Drummond

Until someone at the top in the USA
>has the balls to DQ Drummond and whomever else
>make an ass out of him/herself wearing USA
>colors, well...

Please no more posts on why
>T&F isn't as popluar in the USA as some would
>like. After the 2000 Oly jackass 4x100m team
>embarrassed us all, here we go again. Drumond
>would be O.U.T. for an Oly birth if I were in
>charge. Then again in this day and age
>apparantly enough people don't care about
>representing the USA - just themselves. Thanks
>the man upstairs for Allen Johnson and the like.

So true. I'm appalled at Drummond's behavior. He represents not only himself, but USA. He is an individual, yet made our nation look bad. To make things worse, Drummond's tirade overshadowed all other media coverage like Kelli White's win. Athletes should exercise common sense, but perhaps it's time USATF did sportsmanship seminars prior to any big meets such as this one. Issue any big time fines to anyone who doesn't toe the line.

[Guest]

Re: IAAF Statement on Drummond

F--- THAT! He didn't make anybody look bad (except maybe for himself, depending on your point of view)... this was nothing like the incident in Sydney. He got screwed and he had a right to be PO'd

[Randy Treadway]

Re: IAAF Statement on Drummond

Sorry Gates but you're wrong.
This is an international team meet.

Yes, sponsors may hang the golden fruit of bonues in front of their nose for a WC medal, but the GP circuit is for individuals; at the WC, World Cup and OG you're representing the United States and can be expected to behave as an ambassador.

I guess USATF is going to have to start making athletes sign a 'behaviour commitment' to make it plainly obvious what's expected. You'd think any idiot could figure it out without a piece of paper being shoved under their nose, but these self-centered rascals have got away with it way too much for way too long, so I guess they never got it to start with.

Nobody FORCES anybody to be on the U.S. team.
Go join the Qatar team- I hear they're buying elite level mercenaries right now, and an athlete could probably earn a lot more from them than with the U.S. team, if $$$ is the driving motivational factor and you just want to be a 'gladiator for hire'.

[Guest]

Re: IAAF Statement on Drummond

First of all let me just say that this post is not to condone Drummond's behavior. It's just that after reading so many comments on this board and others, it is really hard for me to understand the EXTREME disgust that is being shown towards him. I happen to feel that it is a little bit overboard and a little unfair the way he is being judged because everyone is so quick to want to point out what the calm, rational, fair, proper, etc. reaction should have been as if in that sort of situation that would have been an easy thing. You seem to forget that this is the World Championships we are talking about. People don't just put in hours of work to get there, they put in a lifetime of blood, sweat, and tears to be able to realize those dreams. And if you were finally on the brink of accomplishing that and then in a blink of an eye it was (in his eyes) wrongly just snatched away from you, would it really be that easy to retreat quietly? Most of you can probably see what a passionate, zealous, and emotional person he is and that can work for and against you. In this case it seems to have worked against him but on some level I can at least understand it. Hindsight is always 20/20 and it's easy for us sitting at home in our recliner to say what should or shouldn't have happened and be so completely outraged and rant and rave about how unsportsmanlike and unamerican it was. But sometimes your heart is a lot more powerful than your mind. He felt he was 100% right and he fought for that...he wasn't fighting against a rule he thought was stupid or just begging for a second chance, I believe he sincerely thought he didn't do anything wrong and he didn't want to pay such a high price for a mistake made by someone else. If this was Zurich or just some other meet it would be a whole different story, but being that it was Wch is why it makes that much more sense to me. I don't agree, I just understand.

[Guest]

Re: IAAF Statement on Drummond

Think the IAAF statement meant to say "Michael Conley", not Michael Cain, though I certainly didn't see Mike down on the track talking to JD. Saw one meet official run after him, and his agent was calling to him from the stands, but if MC did advise him to remain in protest, could well be some sanctions in store for USATF, too.

[Guest]

Re: IAAF Statement on Drummond

There is a Michael Caine. I believe he is the team manager.