UltraNed - Comments of Andy Milroy et al. on womens 100K world best performance

Comments of Andy Milroy et al. on womens 100K world best performance	Maandag 17 februari 2003
17 Feb 2003 PRESS RELEASE AMERICAN RUNNER LOSES OUT AS THE RULES ARE BENT TO BENEFIT JAPANESE RUNNER American ultrarunner, Ann Trason, lost out on the world 100km road "best" as recognized by the International Association of Athletic Federations [IAAF] as that organization recently decided to discard its established guidelines and recognise a Japanese mark instead. Trason's mark was set in international competition and fullfilled all the previously accepted criteria for a world road record. She was tested for drugs and her mark was set on a loop course that had no separation between the start and finish. The course on which she set the mark was measured by an IAAF Grade A measurer who was present and able to validate the course that day. Heretofore, marks made on courses whose start and finish lie more than 30% of the race distance apart have not been considered eligible for records. Now the IAAF has thrown out this scientifically-determined criterion at the insistence of the Japanese President of AIMS (Association of International Marathons). The Japanese 100km mark was set by Tomoe Abe on a course with at least a 40% separation between start and finish. There is considerable evidence that this mark was wind-aided since more than 70 km of the race was run with a tail-wind. It should be noted that the criteria used by the IAAF in recognising the Japanese performance are in direct conflict with those in the Ultra Marathon Race Handbook, the Ultrarunning rule book that the IAAF itself recommends in its own Distance Running Manual. Ann Trason's mark meets all the criteria listed in the Handbook. It is highly likely that this decision will be to the financial deteriment of Ann Trason, in terms of all-expenses paid invitations to races, endorsements, and similar benefits. Road-record expert Ken Young warned recently that "placing technical decisions of this nature in the hands of IAAF politicians can only be detrimental to the sport of road-racing." Holding a world road record confers status and can bring financial advantage; losing that status and financial advantage through the whim of official bureaucracy can only lead to controversy and litigation. ENDS Ken Young PO Box 219 Petrolia CA 95558 United States (707) 629-3430 www.mattoleriver.com kcy@inreach.com Andy Milroy, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, United Kingdom +44 1225 763809 a.milroy@virgin.net Riël Hauman Author of Century of the Marathon 1896-1996 Bellville, RSA 7530 Phone & fax: +27 (0)21 948-0293 Cell: 083 454-3498 riel@xsinet.co.za
Gerelateerde artikelen: 18 januari 2004 : 2003 Global Ultra Rankings 7 september 2003 : Association of Road Racing Statisticians 15 juli 2003 : A NEW VOICE FOR INTERNATIONAL ROAD RACING 21 maart 2003 : RECORDS-AT-ANY-PRICE

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