Not saying he wasn’t foxing, but I have had injuries that have lead to inconsistent performance in the past - running 21.4 one week and backing up with a 20.6 10 days later (had a mild groin tear).
In the scheme of things, a $5000 fine is not that great a disincentive when the athlete stands to gain $40000. You could consider it an expense.
On another note, it was great to see extensive live (?) coverage of athletics on free to air today. It’s a shame that the elite stuff can’t get a sideways glance, but the coverage of the gift today shows that the sport in one form or another can be entertaining and can be presented in a manner that is conducive to the TV format. There was no waiting 15-20 minutes for a race to start, and the uncertainty (well not in the gift) makes it interesting. I don’t think the IAAF will change the format of GP’s, and are probably right not to; however I think it’s time to try something new in Australia and AA could probably stand to benefit from borrowing a part of the model devised by their Pro cousins.
Events such as skins, handicaps and eliminations not only provide prolonged entertainment, but they can probably provide a great off season training stimulus too. This puts elite Aussie athletes infront of a domestic crowd, while at the same time not interupting their preparation for the international season, which is where we need to develop if we are to compete with sports such as swimming.
I’m sure there are more synergies to be had in the sport, and they must be identified and exploited if we are to survive in the not-so-long run.