On Sunday, August 28, “the world’s fastest man”, Usain Bolt, made the grave mistake of leaving his starting blocks early in the 100-meter sprint at the track-and-field world championships in Daegu, South Korea. This false start resulted in the disqualification of Bolt from the race, in accordance with the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Foundation) rules.
The rule, which states that a runner who makes a single false start will be immediately eliminated from the race, was not always so harsh. Runners were previously allowed one false start before disqualification, but in 2010 the IAAF changed the rule, believing that competitors were intentionally leaving the blocks early to tense up their opponents.
This new rule was responsible for the absence of the 100 meter world record holder in the 100-meter race. The rule was approved to satisfy television broadcasters who complained that false starts created delays that threw off their schedules. However, the IAAF failed to realize that the world championships are not about the television broadcasters; they are about the runners, and in this case, the world record holder. Bolt’s opportunity to stun the world should not have been sacrificed in order to appease the requests of broadcasters.
Had the pre-2010 rule still been in effect, Bolt would have been a clear contender for first place, given the large 0.2 second margin between his record and that of Yohan Blake, who received first in the 100 without the presence of Bolt. The zero-tolerance false start rule is completely unreasonable because jumping the gun before a tense race is a common error in sprints, even at the international level. Leaving early is an understandable reaction for runners who are anxious about a race. The consequences are not severe; the runners return to their blocks, and await the race to begin once more. Such a minor mistake should not be the reason for hours of hard work and training to be lost.
Bolt’s fans were disappointed and shocked with his disqualification. The fastest man in the world, defending his world record, could not compete because of a new rule that did not allow room for human mistakes. The IAAF should make an effort to rectify the severity of this rule or return to the previous rule after this outrage. With the 2012 London Olympics approaching next year, such rules as this should be reevaluated for fairness towards runners and fans.
Though Bolt was disappointed with his disqualification, he continued later in the week to win first place in both the 200 meter and the 4×1 relay for Jamaica at Daegu. His spirit is admirable, and hopefully he will not repeat his error as long as the zero-tolerance rule stands.
