Dear Editor,
We have seen in the recent World Championships that a number of athletes had false-started and were very disappointed. And who feels it certainly knows it; and we also feel it for them.
It is absolutely unfair to the athletes to be barred from a race just because of a natural mishap. For the life of me, I found it very hard to believe, and it's extremely cruel to allow this raw deal injection to continue stealing opportunities from the competitors. It's like you are asking a person to be perfect in doing a task.
And what puzzles me is that the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), and company are taking this "no second chance" scenario very lightly. They are not focusing on the hard work, effort, time, and energy consumed by the athletes, in order to get them ready and qualified for major events. If they did they would not still oppose changing this wicked rule.
Think about this, for example: Usain Bolt has been training very hard, for months, in preparation for the next Olympic games. And, after all the hard work, in the final analysis, he is now ready for this superior meet. He is on his mark, then in the set position waiting for the starter's order. All of a sudden, he false starts. Shouldn't he be given a second chance? Surely it should be given to him. It would otherwise be a huge setback, emotional pain, for Bolt or any athlete to be disqualified from a race after such hard work in training. This scenario is not far-fetched. Remember it happened and we all suffered with Bolt.
Prevention is better than cure. I am calling upon the IAAF to remove once and for all this trouble-shooter; this unfair false-start rule, from the field of athletics before the next Olympic Games. It serves no good purpose. All it does is bring pain and trouble upon the track stars. It will keep them from advancing to higher heights. It's a huge stumbling block, so get rid of this dangerous virus before it brings more tears and sadness to some of the runners. Being regretful can be avoided if the IAAF and the JAAA would only cooperate and abandon this troublesome pest.
Donald J McKoy
donaldmckoy2010@hotmail.com
Get rid of false-start rule before Olympics
-->
We have seen in the recent World Championships that a number of athletes had false-started and were very disappointed. And who feels it certainly knows it; and we also feel it for them.
It is absolutely unfair to the athletes to be barred from a race just because of a natural mishap. For the life of me, I found it very hard to believe, and it's extremely cruel to allow this raw deal injection to continue stealing opportunities from the competitors. It's like you are asking a person to be perfect in doing a task.
And what puzzles me is that the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), and company are taking this "no second chance" scenario very lightly. They are not focusing on the hard work, effort, time, and energy consumed by the athletes, in order to get them ready and qualified for major events. If they did they would not still oppose changing this wicked rule.
Think about this, for example: Usain Bolt has been training very hard, for months, in preparation for the next Olympic games. And, after all the hard work, in the final analysis, he is now ready for this superior meet. He is on his mark, then in the set position waiting for the starter's order. All of a sudden, he false starts. Shouldn't he be given a second chance? Surely it should be given to him. It would otherwise be a huge setback, emotional pain, for Bolt or any athlete to be disqualified from a race after such hard work in training. This scenario is not far-fetched. Remember it happened and we all suffered with Bolt.
Prevention is better than cure. I am calling upon the IAAF to remove once and for all this trouble-shooter; this unfair false-start rule, from the field of athletics before the next Olympic Games. It serves no good purpose. All it does is bring pain and trouble upon the track stars. It will keep them from advancing to higher heights. It's a huge stumbling block, so get rid of this dangerous virus before it brings more tears and sadness to some of the runners. Being regretful can be avoided if the IAAF and the JAAA would only cooperate and abandon this troublesome pest.
Donald J McKoy
donaldmckoy2010@hotmail.com
Get rid of false-start rule before Olympics
-->