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As far as competition goes, you're absolutely right.
But . . . for those of us to whom the numbers are important and inform our understanding of the sport, yeah, it's a big deal, just as the examples you cited.
I like the new shoes because they bring additional PR to the sport, as when someone smashes world records, as happened last summer, but to us, the inner circle of cognoscenti, it necessitates a re-gearing of expectations. If Teare's shoes are the new kind (have no idea if they are), and the 2% finding is valid, then I have to look at a 3:50.3 as 3:54.9ish. The first is 'incredible'; the latter, 'impressive'.
I totally understand where you are coming from here. Over the last 50 years or so, if you exclude new women's event, the sport has tended to see a gradual rise in standards. For example, I think it may have taken about 40 years for sub 1:44 800s to become as common as sub 1:45s were.
One potential downside for me will occur is and when a national record set by a relatively recent athlete who was very competitive at the highest world level falls to someone who is actually quite some way from being competitive at that level.
Gudaf Tsegay 1:57.52 in the 800m. #9 all time indoors
World Athletics posted on their Facebook that Ethiopia’s Tsegsay ran the #9 time all time and now their page is flooded with comments saying she is from Tigray and not Ethiopia. I mean, as far as I know Tigray is not an independent country and certainly doesn’t have an OC or WA federation, so what are people going to do in this case (and I imagine many like it?)
World Athletics posted on their Facebook that Ethiopia’s Tsegsay ran the #9 time all time and now their page is flooded with comments saying she is from Tigray and not Ethiopia. I mean, as far as I know Tigray is not an independent country and certainly doesn’t have an OC or WA federation, so what are people going to do in this case (and I imagine many like it?)
Having nothing to do with the tragic ongoing Tigray war, I'm sure Tsegay still represents Ethiopia athletically.
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