POSTED: August 28th 2011
NewsUpdate
Bolt victim of false start rule disqualified from 100m
LAURA WALDEN in DAEGU / Sports Features Communications
DAEGU: Tonight the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, fell victim to a false start in the 100m and the most anticipated race of the 2011 Daegu World Championships went to fellow countryman Yohan Blake.
Devastated by his actions, Bolt returned to the warm up track and according to the IAAF commented, “I have nothing to say right now. I need some time.”
His next race is the 200m which will be run Friday night and when asked he remarked, “How will I go? It’s on Friday right? Then we’ll have to see on Friday”
Then he hopped into a car and returned to the athletes’ village.
Bolt was toppled by his own mistake and consequently disqualified by the IAAF false start Rule 162.7 which states that “Except in Combined Events, any athlete responsible for a False Start shall be disqualified. In Combined Events only one false start per race shall be allowed without disqualification of the athlete(s) responsible for the false start. Any athlete(s) making further false starts in the race shall be disqualified from the race.”
The IAAF issued a statement on the race “While the IAAF is, of course, disappointed that Usain Bolt false-started in the final of the 100m, it is important to remember that a sport’s credibility depends on its rules, and they must also be applied consistently and fairly for ALL athletes.
As you can see from the chronology below, the current false start rule been in effect since 1 January 2010, and all elite athletes have had the chance to adjust.
In extraordinary cases, the IAAF Council has the right to make interim changes to Technical Rules, pending official approval by IAAF Congress.”
On August 12 2009, at the 47th IAAF Congress, Berlin, Germany, the rule was approved 97 to 55.
Prior to this, as of August 1, 2001 the rule was in effect to allow only one false start per race in events up to and including the 400m. Any athlete subsequently false starting will be disqualified immediately.
This was passed 81-74.
There might be some discussions opened up in the near future about the validity of the rule and the sanctions imposed.
Keywords · IAAF · Daegu World Championships · Daegu 2011 · Usain Bolt
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