For the first time, Olympic track and field competitions have used collector’s rounds in Paris. A member of the board of the International Athletics Federation opens the background of the reform.
Pertti Lappalainen,
Laura Arffman
Paris Olympics on channels 26.7.–11.8. Go to the competition website here. You can find the entire program of the games here.
The collector’s rounds of athletics have attracted attention at the Paris Olympics. The reform has caused surprising and sometimes strange situations on the running track.
Board member of the International Association of Athletics Federations (WA). Antti Pihlakoski says that the reason behind the collection lot reform is the order of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to reduce the number of participants in athletics competitions. There are about 2,000 athletes at the World Championships in Athletics. In the past, this was also the case at the Olympics.
– The IOC forced to drop the number of athletes. We thought about how to fill the program so that there would be enough to do. That’s when the collection lots came up, Pihlakoski tells .
Collection sets are used in speed hurdles and 400-meter hurdles and smooth running distances from 200 meters to 1,500 meters. Runners who remain in the heats without a place in the semi-finals can aim for it in the collection heats. The prerequisite is to run the heat to the finish line.
The system receives criticism
According to Pihlakoski, WA sparred with international television companies about the idea of a collection batch. The companies thought the idea was brilliant, as they could show athletes from their own countries more often.
For example, on Monday, only three athletes started in the first heat of the men’s 400 m relay. Pihlakoski says directly that the system needs to be improved.
– It has casting defects. There has been mixed feedback, some like it and some don’t, Pihlakoski reveals.
In the 110-meter hurdles, the US Freddie Crittenden jogged to the finish line of his heat and saved himself for the collector’s run while recovering from an injury.
– I don’t think it’s nice that we start the heats blatantly as has happened. Throwing it as a “lekker” is not in accordance with the spirit of sportsmanship, Pihlakoski downloads.
– For example, there should be a minimum score to get to the collector’s level, he elaborates.
Another of Pihlakoski’s development proposals is that after the preliminary heats, the athletes would be assured whether they are coming to run in the collection heat. Then the track order could be made according to the participating runners and the tracks would not be empty.
In the next World Championships in athletics in Tokyo, there will be no collector’s events. There are more athletes than in the Olympics, so there is enough program on the competition days.
It is still uncertain whether the collection rounds will be seen at the next Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. According to Pihlakoski, the International Association of Athletics Federations is collecting feedback from athletes, TV companies and its own people about the Paris Games.
– We have quite a lot of different innovations in athletics. Let’s see which of them will come true in the next games, Pihlakoski concludes.