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The European Plan to Reset Records
There has been a suggestion from European Athletics to reset the track and field record book to only allow records that conform to the sport’s current standard of taking and storing blood and urine so that either or both can be tested post record for new drugs and methods of doping discovered after the record has been ratified. This would effectively eliminate any and all records set before 2005! While I understand the frustration of the many doping scandals that have rocked the sport in recent years. The proposal set forth by European Athletics does not fix the core issue – which frankly has been the lax, and often complicit,…
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Wow, I Agree with Carl Lewis
It’s been the rare occasion that I’ve been in agreement with Carl Lewis. He’s been "controversial" during much of his association with the sport of track and field going back to the 1980s. But as I read this article I found myself nodding my head in agreement. While I’ve been trying my best to just enjoy the competition this indoor season, DOPING continues to dominate the headlines. Stories about the various finalists from the women’s 1500 final in London, discovered to have doped. Continuing issues with Russia and it’s "anti"doping program. Doping revelations in Ethiopia. Not a week goes by without discussions of doping in track and field in the…
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World Records and the State of the Sport
British Track and Field has released a manifesto on the status of the sport – changes it feels are necessary to "clean up" the sport of track and field. Among these is the matter of the sports records and what it sees as a full scale revision of track and field’s world records. Lord Coe – a Brit and the current head of the IAAF – has stated that he favors the removal of selected world records. This is not the first time the issue of "record revision" has been brought up. Most recently it was a topic of discussion at the turn of the century. The thought of those…