Gatlin’s time corrected to 9.77 – EQUALS 100m World Record

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Gatlin’s time corrected to 9.77 – EQUALS 100m World Record
Wednesday 17 May 2006
Monte-Carlo - The IAAF has just been informed by Tissot Timing of an error in the reading of the result recorded by Justin Gatlin (USA) in the 100m at the IAAF Super Grand Prix Meeting in Doha, Qatar on Friday 12 May 2006.

Based on his time recorded after winning the race, Gatlin ran 9.766 seconds for 100m, which was then announced as 9.76 - a new World Record for this distance.

However, according to IAAF rules, this time should have been manually rounded up to 9.77.

Therefore, Gatlin’s time will now be adjusted to 9.77, and pending ratification, will equal the previous 100m World Record of Asafa Powell (JAM) set in 2005.

http://www.iaaf.org/news/newsId=34686,printer.html

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If that is the rule, so be it. But this looks bad for the IAAF in the eyes of many regular sports fans who see most sports using an extra decimal or two to confirm times…no problems in skiing events The technology is there…if a person is an extra decimal place faster then give them their due. This rounding rule seems very outdated…leave rounding to the elementary school teachers for the spelling test.

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Agreed, there are some stupid rules, indeed. Maybe we should make a poll for the most stupid rules in sports.
My vote goes to weightlifting where of two competitors with same bodyweight and same weight lifted the winner is the one who appeared first. absurd…

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Now we have 2 WR-holders !!! Man, that duell is getting hotter and hotter …

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the question is…did he get the bonus’ for running the WR :smiley: after the meet

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Was there ever a time with 2 WR-holders?

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I’m pretty sure the record will stay with Asafa Powell since he ran it first, Gatlin only equalled it.

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It will make things interesting. What would also be interesting is to know Asafa’s exact time as 9.766 is well up under the rules. (9.761 rounds up to 9.77 so Asafa’s time must be 9.770 to 9.761). In any event, this will raise the value of the match races.

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From the photofinish picture i have for Asafa’s 9.77 it looks like it high 9.76, but the quality is bad and only the orignial computer can find the 0.00x. BUT a slight downhill (IAAF rule 160.6 “The lateral inclination of tracks should not exceed 1:100 and the overall inclination in the running direction shall not exceed 1:1000 downwards.”) is tolerate and the timing procedure (omega or swatch, etc) can lead to 0.000x differences (as tolerated by IAAF start procedure) and also minor track lengths (can’t remember what is the IAAf tolerance, all this can make these 0.00x comparison nihil due to track differences.

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STEPHEN FRANCIS, ASAFA POWELL’ COACH, REACTS AFTER IAAF ROUNDED-UP (from Carribbean T&F Forum)

franno
NOW the Qatar 100m looks like FRAUD!!!
Wed May 17, 2006 13:21
72.27.97.43

I have attempted to stay away from the raging debate about the validity of the 100m race in Qatar, last week for obvious reasons. To the extent that I have refused to publicly release valid wind guage observations that I have.

However, this latest news release by the IAAF and Tisot timing is a total joke.

First of all, who or what is Tisot timing? I personally have never heard them associated with athletics timing at any level! Are they Omega? Or Swatch?

Secondly, anyone who is even vaguely familiar with the computerised electronic timing systems, know that the excuse given on the IAAF site is total bullshit. It is not possible to MANUALLY overide a time. The time is automatically stated depending on where the reader of the photo puts the line.

I cannot put the line at 9.766 and 9.76 comes on the monitor. The computer does all the rounding.

So how does 9.766 become 9.76, unless the program being used is in error. If that is the case, then the entire race, and the results for that meet should be thrown out.

Thirdly, even if we accept that the time was 9.766, is that the time Asafa ran in Athens? What if he ran 9.769? Then Gatlin should still be the WRH. Or if he ran 9.765 then Asafa should be the WRH.

Even though the IAAF rules indicate that the times should be in 100th of a second, I have seen countless times where ties have been broken by resorting to 1000ths.

All I have to say, based on all the current information, this stinks to high heaven

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

franno
Let me repost in English. “The reader does not round times”
Wed May 17, 2006 15:46
72.27.13.21

The computer rounds the times based on where the time-reader places the cursor.

With the modern computerised timing systems, the computer takes rounding out of the hands of the operator.

So, if the reader places the cursor (line) at a spot on the picture that reads 9.765, the resulting time on the screen, scoreboard, etc. will be 9.77

If you say that the time-reader placed the cursor/line at the wrong spot, then that is a reasonable explanation.

To say that the person reading the photo rounded down and no t up, is bullshit. NOt possible.

That means that the timing software is DEFECTIVE!!!

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Anyway, i find all these stories quite amusing and the rivalry Powell vs Gatlin is raising to an unheard level (was too young for Johnson vs Lewis shows, but i remember that Lewis vs Christie was crap in 1993). I’m glad to be a privileged observer of it. Of interesting note, During the doping control in Doha, Trevor and Justin went to ask Olu what is the difference between running against Asafa and Justin. Olu replied something like Asafa’s got a more agressive start than Justin, but Justin has a better and more fliud finish.

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By Gene Cherry

RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) - Justin Gatlin’s agent has called for a review of Asafa Powell’s world 100 metres record by the ruling body of athletics.

Gatlin was given a time of 9.76 seconds at a meeting in Doha last week but the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) announced on Wednesday the time should have been rounded up to 9.77, equalling Jamaican Powell’s world mark.

The world and Olympic champion’s agent, Renaldo Nehemiah, told Reuters by telephone that he had sent an email to the IAAF requesting they took another look at Powell’s record performance in Athens on June 14 last year.

“Asafa Powell’s record in Greece, it (the time) showed 9.78. It was rounded down to 9.77,” former hurdles great Nehemiah said.

"I want to ensure the same sensitivity (applied to Gatlin’s run) was attributed to that record as well.

“I do not want to take anything anyway from Asafa Powell, but if everybody is starting to look at this with a magnifying glass, and rightly so because of the lowness of the times, so we want to look into that time.”

He also questioned the delay in correcting Gatlin’s time.

“It has been almost five days since he ran. I did not think it would take them that long to realise the possibility of a mistake.”

A review of the Doha race by Tissot Timing indicated Gatlin had run 9.766 seconds, which according to IAAF rules should have been rounded down to 9.77.

The IAAF said the error had been spotted relatively early in the ratification process.

OBVIOUS MISTAKE

Spokesman Nick Davies could not confirm that the IAAF had received an email from Nehemiah but said there had been no question about Powell’s record.

“What’s happened with Gatlin, it was obviously a mistake,” he said. "It just so happens that it came out from Tissot admitting the error of timing but we would have found it.

“Powell’s record was ratified and signed off having fulfilled all the conditions,” Davies added.

"Every single record is very carefully checked by the technical officer before it is forwarded to the president and general secretary for signing.

“There was no question at the time that it wasn’t a record. It has been subjected to the same rigorous security (as Gatlin’s time).”

Davies said all the times from the 100 metres in Doha would have to be reassessed.

“I respect the IAAF for saying a record of this magnitude is so difficult to break we need to make sure we are absolutely correct,” Nehemiah said.

“This is just an incentive for Justin to go out and break the world record again officially. He is in excellent shape for this time of the year.”

A meeting with Powell in Gateshead, England on June 11 is still on, Nehemiah added.

The joint world record holders could also clash at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, on May 28 where Gatlin is scheduled to run the 100 metres and Powell the 200.

“There is at least a possibility that might change, but we want to reserve comment on that,” Powell’s manager Paul Doyle said.

http://za.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=sportsNews&storyID=2006-05-17T161745Z_01_ALL758647_RTRIDST_0_OZASP-ATHLETICS-GATLIN-20060517.XML

LOL

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thats crazy.

But: Asafa’s time was 9,78 at first and rounded down like he said. Could this be a hint that Gatlin’s time was a bit faster? Or mybe Asafas just came through the line with his arms first or anything like this…

What do you think?

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No pbj, look at the photofinish picture, Asafa is on the brown one on the left, you can see that it’s just under 9.77, so corrected as 9.77.

I phoned Olu few minutes ago, he is in NGR this week, he told me that he didn’t care 9.84 or 9.85, he was just concerned it was still an African Record, i told him Yes now it’s official (well, not yet ratified by IAAF, it take several months), he was very happy, i made his day :smiley:

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Oh. Really?? Not so fast. The line is drawn and the film is read and the rules determine the time. Computor reads the film? Since when? It is also possible in the ratification process to review the interpretation of the placement of the cursor. The only diff is the initial time posted from the photo eye on the line which may or may not be exact due to positioning and which body part broke the beam.
BTW, does anyone remember that Asafa’s time was initialy posted as 9.78 and then moved to 9.77. Franno might want to watch what he’s saying as it works both ways.

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Yes, right after the run the display showed 9.78. The officially announced time was 9.77 from beginning.

I have to admint I do not know what the displays show initially, anyhow. The light gate seems to trigger at ±0.02. (At least I saw times corrected in this range).
I already saw 100m races by 10.50 runners run in 8.90. :wink:

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Know it does not help, but Ostrava (9.85) seems to have been sg like 9.841…I’d like to see a finish line photo from Athens of this quality - anyone?

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To my understanding, a lot of meets will set up the sensor just after the finish line as to not show a time that is some sort of record when it isn’t (WR, meet, etc.). This makes sure fans aren’t too disappointed after the official time is released.

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Newspaper L’Equipe told the explanation in its today editition after having spoke to the timining company, Tissot which is part of Swiss Timming: the electronic timing apparatus used in Doha was used at Torino Olympics for Ice Skating. The rounded timing rule for this sport is rounded DOWN. In Doha, it didn’t hit the timer chief, so the times were automatically rounded DOWN, instead of rounded UP. That’s a human fault. It was only when competent people checked the photo-finish that they found the mistake. This is part of the IAAF World Ratification procedure anyway.

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Everything is making sense now. Thanks guys for the info.