Athletics

Scandal over start flaps at the African Championships!

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(Bild: APA/Getty Images via AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Patrick Smith)

Excitement in international athletics: at the African Championships in Douala, the largest city in Cameroon, the starting signals for the races are not given with a starting pistol, as has been customary internationally for ages, but with a starting flap - just as we know it from the school competitions of yesteryear! Nevertheless, these times are also recognized for qualification for the Olympic Games.

For example, Eloy Morrison (Liberia) is already listed in the "Road to Paris", the qualifying rankings for the Olympics, as having qualified for the Games with her winning time of 12.70 in the 100 m hurdles with a regular tailwind (+1.1 m/sec). Accordingly, she officially undercut the required standard of 12.77 seconds.

Really compliant with the rules?
Is this really all compliant with the rules? At least there are doubts. This is also causing outrage on social media.

What do the World Athletics regulations say? In "Rule CR22.3 Note" there is only general mention of a "start signal". This can be triggered by a starting revolver or by another acoustic starting device. Experts are of the opinion that (if the microphone is close enough to the start flaps) these flaps are permissible.

However, it remains to be seen whether this can be considered a "fully electronic starting process". As it looks now, World Athletics will accept these times from the African Championships as correct. Otherwise they would not be on the "Road to Paris".

But the doubts cannot be dispelled. It is easy to understand why other athletes, who may lose their starting place for Paris as a result of this 12.70, are outraged.

"Frustrating without end!"
As in the case of Austria's European Championship tenth-placed Strametz. She is currently 39th in the rankings for Paris; only 40 hurdlers are eligible to take part in the Games. She asks: "Is the starting gate really allowed? Is that fair?" This case is "endlessly frustrating" for her.

She is fighting with all her might. However, she considers it questionable whether "fair weapons" can still be used against such performances. Apart from the world-class time of 12.70, there are also 170 bonus points for winning these championships, which move you far up the rankings. The Styrian: "It's all incomprehensible!"