Starting pistol obsolete?
NZPA London The traditional crack from the starting pistol may he discarded for the next Olympics and be replaced by an English-designed hooter placed behind each competitor. The reason for the move is a sound one — literally. According to the “Daily Star” newspaper, the starting
pistol is heard by runners near the starter a vital split second before it reaches athletes in outer lanes. Top officials are convinced this has cost some athletes gold medals — including the Commonwealth and Olympic champion sprinter, Allan Wells. The British Amateur Athletics Association’s general
secretary. Mr Mike Farrell, said Weils lost to the Italian sprinter, Menea. in the 2110 m final at the Moscow Olympics in a photo-finish by one hundredth of a second. Farrell said Menea was in lane one and Wells was in lane eight, and according to sound experts the crack of the pistol takes three-hun-dredths of a second to travel
10 metres. That means a runner in lane eight for a 400 m race hears the pistol about 24 hundredths of a second after it has been fired because of the staggered start. Farrell said the hooter was being tested and he was confident it would be standard equipment by the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
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Press, 9 October 1982, Page 64
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209Starting pistol obsolete? Press, 9 October 1982, Page 64
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