What do you think of 3 race semifinals?

[jeremyp]

Hate it!! Especially in races over 400m, where it gives advantage to later heats to see what they have to do (although I'm not sure they take advantage of it.) I am all for 2 semis Period!

Having said that I look back on WC's and see only 800(of races over400) is a 3 race semi, and in the woman's race the last heat was the slowest.

[Davidokun]

Re: "Semi"

semi is defined by Merrim-Webster Dictionary as "precisely half of"

Your reference also defines semi- as:

2 : to some extent : partly : incompletely
3 a : partial : incomplete b : having some of the characteristics of c : quasi-

Furthermore, it defines semifinal as:

1 : being next to the last in an elimination tournament

[Vault-emort]

I see they decided to expand the 4x100m from 16 to 18 teams and have a 3-race semi. Yuck.

As much as I really hate 3-semi anythings, I reckon the 4x1s can stand em as much as any event. Where batons can be dropped by a number of teams, I'd prefer top 8 fastest survivors into the final.

[sprintblox]

I see they decided to expand the 4x100m from 16 to 18 teams and have a 3-race semi. Yuck.

[3a]

It is not the three heats, as has been mentioned. It is the simple fact that you can take second in your heat and end up in lane one for the final! I have had it happen twice to my athletes and it definitely affected their races (Hadi 01 and Tasha 07). Meanwhile a timed qualifier ends up in lane seven or eight.

You're not up to date. Seeding rules were changed last year, so it can't happen now.

WHich is still B*llox becuase Gillick and DJohne are now in lanes 1 &2 for the final, when they'd have WON semi number 3 and thus had middle lanes.


Three semi's COULD be forgiven if the IAAF had any notion of how to seed....but they don't.

The men's 800m is a shambles.....

The women's 800m had the three medalists in the same semi.

I always hated this, but it was never this widespread.

[Vault-emort]

Re: "Semi"

I hate to break this to you, but dictionaries do not dictate what words mean, they tell us how they are used.

"Four legs good, two legs bad"
"Four legs good, two legs better"

[Marlow]

Re: "Semi"

semi is defined by Merrim-Webster Dictionary as "precisely half of" but Marlow wrote, "The word 'semis' means whatever we deem it to mean!"

I hate to break this to you, but dictionaries do not dictate what words mean, they tell us how they are used. Words that Shakespeare meant one way, mean something entirely different now. A dictionary reflects how we use language and now that 'semis' mean 'penultimates' (to the iAAF at least) that's how the dictionary will define it (sooner or later).
What did 'gay' used to mean? How did dictionaries define it? What happened when it was used to mean something else?

[Vault-emort]

Re: "Semi"

First use of a 'three semi-final' in a world-level championship I can find was (I believe) 61 years ago...

1948 London Olympic women's 100m, where in the official British Olympic report Jack Crump (Mgr of British team) - who famously said in a Games preview that Fanny Blankers-Koen was ''too old" and that Shirley Strickland wasn't "good enough" said:

"Whilst this system was probaly expedient, it seems that an additional round, permitting the first three in each heat to progress, would have been fairer to the athletes"

"Without criticising the organisers, for whom expediency must also be a factor, it does seem that when three place medals are concerned, the first three in each heat should go forward"

The more things change.........

[Vault-emort]

Re: "Semi"

I've noticed other imprecision in the language of sports administration including rules -- and exams for certification of officials.

One of the made-up-words I hate is "Commentator"

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/commentate

If you comment on sports aren't you a "Commenter"?

And don't get me started on "phenom"

[Powell]

Next thing you know, they will be having five "quarter" finals.

it's been done, i'm sure.

The men's 100 in Berlin had 6 quarterfinals. I believe in Beijing it had 5.

[James Fields]

"Semi"

semi is defined by Merrim-Webster Dictionary as "precisely half of" but Marlow wrote, "The word 'semis' means whatever we deem it to mean!"

I've noticed other imprecision in the language of sports administration including rules -- and exams for certification of officials.

Precision in measurements is considered important in conduct of the sport, but precision in language seems less revered and at times not even respected.

[Slowrunner]

What is the protocol if in a 3-semi scenario, two athletes tie for the 2nd fastest time among 3rd/4th place finishers? Especially given Berlin only has 8 lanes. Let's root for that!

[Al in NYC]

Bring back the quarter-finals!! No more tri-final semi[sic]-finals!!

One of the dumbest, most infuriating trends in modern T&F. Even better yet, of course, would be to further limit the fields to truly elite athletes, but that's a non-starter for obvious political reasons.

[cacique]

Next thing you know, they will be having five "quarter" finals.

it's been done, i'm sure.

look, if you ask athletes, i bet many would prefer 3 semis and one less round.

[Halfmiler2]

Given that track and field's use of semi-final has historically meant two races leading to the final, perhaps we should lobby for a new term. How about mero-final? Or Poly-semifinal? Elimination final? I'm sure others can think of more useful terms.

Penultimates? I bet Bob Hersh would like that! :wink: