Starting the record book over at the new millenium has been thrown around as a way to get unapproachable dirty marks off the books (and to recognize rules changes in the pole vault). Track & Field News has listed them off. Apparently, they've forgotten when the millenium ended, as some of their marks are from 2000, but that's not important.
Since the ostensible reason for such a clearing of the books is to clean them, paired with this proposal should be a requirement to strip records from athletes who are given major (multi-year) doping bans. Changes to T&FN's list of records would be thus:
MEN
3000m: Ali Saïdi-Sief's 7:25.02 out, Kenenisa Bekele's 7:25.79 in
20k Walk: Vladimir Kanaykin's 1:17:06 out, Jefferson Pérez's 1:17:21 in
Hammer throw: Ivan Tikhon's 86.73 out, Koji Murofushi's 84.86 in
WOMEN
1500m: Süreyya Ayhan's 3:55.33 out, Maryam Yusuf Jamal's 3:56.18 in
20k Walk: Olimpiada Ivanova's 1:25:41 out, Olga Kanaskina's 1:25:42 in
Shot put: Larisa Peleshenko's 21.46 out, Nadzeya Ostapchuk's 21.09 in
Discus throw: Natalya Sadova's 69.38 out, Irina Yatchenko's 69.14 in
Showing posts with label world record. Show all posts
Showing posts with label world record. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Monday, July 27, 2009
Progression of World Records
Over at Let's Run there's a thread titled Progression of World Records seems to be screeching to a holt [sic]. There's some pretty good discussion mixed in with the usual idiocy. As usual, the numbers on their face must be viewed with some perspective. (My wife knows a stats prof who doesn't plan some of his lectures, but rather opens up USA Today and says "what claptrap are they peddling this time?")
First off, there used to be more world records set because there were more events. Up through 1976 the IAAF had metric and imperial running events in everything, whereas now the only non-Frenchy distance we do is the mile. Even if you only consider the metric distances way back when, you have to realize that they were often "weak" records in relation to their imperial counterparts. The metric records weren't often "maxed-out" by an American because he might run that distance just a few times in a four-year period. There's also the issue of tieing records, which was common in the era of tenth-of-a-second timing.
Records were often thrown out and not ratified due to various insufficiencies: not enough timers, a venue that was downhill or a track that was an inch or two short, and so forth. These seem trivial now, but it wasn't so long ago that people had to put down lane lines and so forth by hand with chalk, and getting it just exactly right was no easy task.
Another thing that has changed is the population we're drawing from. Prior to WWII, the world of athletics was pretty much the USA, Europe, and the white portions of the British Empire. Neither China, the Soviet Union, or the vastness of Latin America and Africa were part of the scene.
All of these things changed at once in the 70s and 80s, along with an accelerated inclusion of women and an explosion in the use of drugs. Anti-doping efforts have really gotten somewhere in the last few years, and all these other changes--wider population, better equipment, standardization, longer careers through professionalization--have reached a point of stasis. No new things, fewer new records.
First off, there used to be more world records set because there were more events. Up through 1976 the IAAF had metric and imperial running events in everything, whereas now the only non-Frenchy distance we do is the mile. Even if you only consider the metric distances way back when, you have to realize that they were often "weak" records in relation to their imperial counterparts. The metric records weren't often "maxed-out" by an American because he might run that distance just a few times in a four-year period. There's also the issue of tieing records, which was common in the era of tenth-of-a-second timing.
Records were often thrown out and not ratified due to various insufficiencies: not enough timers, a venue that was downhill or a track that was an inch or two short, and so forth. These seem trivial now, but it wasn't so long ago that people had to put down lane lines and so forth by hand with chalk, and getting it just exactly right was no easy task.
Another thing that has changed is the population we're drawing from. Prior to WWII, the world of athletics was pretty much the USA, Europe, and the white portions of the British Empire. Neither China, the Soviet Union, or the vastness of Latin America and Africa were part of the scene.
All of these things changed at once in the 70s and 80s, along with an accelerated inclusion of women and an explosion in the use of drugs. Anti-doping efforts have really gotten somewhere in the last few years, and all these other changes--wider population, better equipment, standardization, longer careers through professionalization--have reached a point of stasis. No new things, fewer new records.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
Weekend Recap
Joe Battaglia at NBC Olympics picks his top ten performances of the weekend. There was a lot going on.
In the US, there was the Tyson Invitational, where Adam Nelson set the real indoor World Record in the pro section while Texas set the indoor World Record in the distance medley.
Over in the UK, there was a big meet in Birmingham, where Kenenisa Bekele set the indoor 2-mile "world record".
Yelena Isinbayeva upped her own indoor World Record to 16' 2 3/4" (4.95m) at the vault-only Pole Vault Stars meet in Donetsk, Ukraine.
Two other important meets flew under the radar a bit. The USATF Cross Country championships showed that Shalane Flanagan is again in fine form, while Ryan Hall's late fade was a bit of a surprise. The Russians crushed the competition at the European Indoor Cup.
And there were a few other smaller competitions: the Eurocross in Diekirch (LUX), the Asian Indoor Championships in Doha (QAT), the French Indoor Championships, the Tokyo Marathon, and an early World Athletics Tour meet down under in Sydney.
In the US, there was the Tyson Invitational, where Adam Nelson set the real indoor World Record in the pro section while Texas set the indoor World Record in the distance medley.
Over in the UK, there was a big meet in Birmingham, where Kenenisa Bekele set the indoor 2-mile "world record".
Yelena Isinbayeva upped her own indoor World Record to 16' 2 3/4" (4.95m) at the vault-only Pole Vault Stars meet in Donetsk, Ukraine.
Two other important meets flew under the radar a bit. The USATF Cross Country championships showed that Shalane Flanagan is again in fine form, while Ryan Hall's late fade was a bit of a surprise. The Russians crushed the competition at the European Indoor Cup.
And there were a few other smaller competitions: the Eurocross in Diekirch (LUX), the Asian Indoor Championships in Doha (QAT), the French Indoor Championships, the Tokyo Marathon, and an early World Athletics Tour meet down under in Sydney.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Weekend News
Normally I pawn this job off on others and merely link to their articles. However, this weekend's indoor action requires a bit more.#1: Susanna Kallur broke the 60m hurdles World Record. This was at the Karlsruhe indoor permit meet, and was considered a difficult if not impossible feat. She ran 7.68, just breaking the old record of 7.69, set some 18 years ago by the notorious Soviet Ludmila Narozhilenko. (Later, as Ludmila Enquist, she received a lifetime doping ban; that old record was likely set with pharmaceutical aid.)
WCSN will shortly have the meet viewable on-demand.
Discuss
#2: Yelena Soboleva broke her own 1500 meters World indoor Record. This was on the final day of the Russian Championships; just yesterday she broke the national 800 meter indoor record. (Personally, I find Soboleva's pair of outstanding performances just a bit too amazing for comfort, if you know what I mean. The only other indoor sub-4:00 was run by the notorious Regina Jacobs, and almost assuredly with pharmaceutical aid.)
Discuss
#3. The notorious Dwain Chambers won the 60 meters at the UK World Championships trials, to the great disgust of apparently everyone on Earth save Chambers himself.
Discuss
Friday, January 18, 2008
Dubai Marathon update
Geb missed the record. He went out just a little too fast and paid for it at the end. He still ran the second-fastest of all time (2:04:53).
Let's Run live thread -- T&FN discussion
Let's Run live thread -- T&FN discussion
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Dubai Marathon preview
Normally only the Marathon Majors deserve a preview post, but this one is different. Haile Gebrselassie is quite publicly targeting his own World Record of 2:04:26 (4:45 per mile). He thinks it's possible if things go just right--weather, pacing, and that certain je nai sais qua. If he pulls it off, he'll only be the third man to break his own marathon WR, along with Jim Peters and Khalid Khannouchi.
Previews: IAAF -- Let's Run -- Al Jazeera
Discussion: Let's Run -- T&FN
It has been reported that the race can be watched online in Arabic (Dubai Sports Channel) for $9.95, although there are reports of blackouts for US IP adresses. The race starts tonight at 10 p.m. EDT, which is 7 a.m. tommorrow in Dubai.
Previews: IAAF -- Let's Run -- Al Jazeera
Discussion: Let's Run -- T&FN
It has been reported that the race can be watched online in Arabic (Dubai Sports Channel) for $9.95, although there are reports of blackouts for US IP adresses. The race starts tonight at 10 p.m. EDT, which is 7 a.m. tommorrow in Dubai.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Berlin Marathon
I woke up in the middle of the night with an upset stomach--I think I got dehydrated at the cross-country meet yesterday. Anyway, I looked over at the clock and saw that it was around 3:30 AM, and thought, "If I got online, I could see the end of the Berlin Marathon. Nah, what's the chance anything interesting is going to happen?"
Well, as it turns out, the pre-race hype was actually right (that never happens!) and Haile Gebrselassie set his umpteenth world record, 2:04:26. (T&FN discussion - Let's Run discussion - WCSN video)
Gete Wami won the women's race and plans to turn around and race again New York in just five weeks, in an attempt to keep Jelena Prokupcuka from catching her in the World Marathon Majors standings.
New World Marathon Majors standings
In other news:
*Paula Radcliffe made her return to racing at the Great North Run half-marathon only to lose to Kara Goucher's American Record / world leader 66:57
*the (finally!) season-ending Yokohama Super Meet was pretty good but the headlines were all about a hamstring injury to Asafa Powell in the 200. Also, not a single pole vaulter made a height!
*yesterday a World Record was set in the 20 km road walk at the final of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge.
and finally,
*Alan Webb and Carmen Douma-Hassar beat fields that were basically exclusively North American (and therefore fairly weak) at the Fifth Avenue Mile.
Well, as it turns out, the pre-race hype was actually right (that never happens!) and Haile Gebrselassie set his umpteenth world record, 2:04:26. (T&FN discussion - Let's Run discussion - WCSN video)
Gete Wami won the women's race and plans to turn around and race again New York in just five weeks, in an attempt to keep Jelena Prokupcuka from catching her in the World Marathon Majors standings.
New World Marathon Majors standings
In other news:
*Paula Radcliffe made her return to racing at the Great North Run half-marathon only to lose to Kara Goucher's American Record / world leader 66:57
*the (finally!) season-ending Yokohama Super Meet was pretty good but the headlines were all about a hamstring injury to Asafa Powell in the 200. Also, not a single pole vaulter made a height!
*yesterday a World Record was set in the 20 km road walk at the final of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge.
and finally,
*Alan Webb and Carmen Douma-Hassar beat fields that were basically exclusively North American (and therefore fairly weak) at the Fifth Avenue Mile.
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