Finnish athletics enthusiasts woke up to the new week with news when the information Mykolas Aleknan about the discus throw world record reached the domestic media early on Monday morning.
Jürgen Schultin the ME score of 74.08 he threw almost 38 years ago improved to 74.35 in the handling of the Lithuanian. Alekna, 21, threw ME on the American prairie, in the state of Oklahoma. The result came in a terrible crosswind, i.e. in ideal conditions for discus throwing.
However, not everyone swallowed ME without chewing. There is only scant footage available from the competition venue, and the setting is not even up to the level of a Finnish district competition.
– The field looks terrible. I have protested against these before, running the Tilastopaja service known as the athletics bible Mirko Jalava says.
According to Jalava, who collects thousands of results every day and investigates their backgrounds, there are many competitions in the United States whose framework does not meet international criteria, but which have nevertheless received a World Athletics competition license from the International Association of Athletics Federations.
Athletics manager legend Jukka Härkönen also wonders about the throwing conditions of the new ME result.
– I put Alekna to the manager For Aivar (Karotamm), that great throw, great athlete, great wind, but the facilities are from Belarus. Aivar didn’t answer that, Härkönen says.
In Härkönen’s reference to Belarus, we have to go back to 2016. At that time, two Iranian shot putters went to the Belarusian field to win the results qualifying them for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, which drew criticism among their Finnish colleagues about the legality of the competition conditions. You can watch a video clip about the race Härkönen refers to from this link (section 1.12–2.41).
Alekna is an athlete of a completely different caliber compared to the Iranians, so in her case there is no need to question the ME readings.
The top result was guaranteed
Expectations for Alekna were already high before the competition. A little over a week ago, the Lithuanian opened his season by throwing 71.39 in California.
The day before Alekna’s ME, the Cuban 2019 world champion Yaime Perez scored 73.09 in the same discus ring in Ramona, Oklahoma – like Alekna against a brisk headwind. He improved his record by almost four meters and rose to tenth place on the all-time list.
On Sunday, in the men’s race, there was a steady and strong wind against the side, the strength of which was twenty meters per second. It led Alekna to a three-meter record improvement.
Eight of the 24 men’s participants threw their records. There were 17 participants in the women’s category and eight record holders as well. The event has grown in popularity because Ramona’s prairie and a strong headwind are a guaranteed combination.
– With the current rules, ME can probably be accepted, but the question is whether these special races are in special conditions. When you can throw the puck five meters into that wind better than normal, Härkönen reflects.
In the United States, track and field sports are in a very unequal position when it comes to ratifying records. In sprints, several wild times remain unofficial and do not qualify for, for example, the Olympic limit or ranking, because the race organizers do not have stolen start devices.
– If the top times set in these games are not accepted as records, but in field sports, Alekna’s result like this is acceptable… Then it’s funny, says Härkönen.
Ramona’s prairie race had received C-level status from the International Association of Athletics Federations. The Jyväskylä GP, which opens the domestic athletics summer, belongs to the same category.
“It’s not forbidden, but it helps many meters”
Competition manager of the sports association, two-time Finnish discus champion Mika Muukka does not subscribe to Jalava and Härkönen’s criticism of Ramona’s race place.
– There were so many hard throwers from different parts of the world and their coaches that I don’t think the organizers will risk anything related to the rules.
– The wind was unbelievably good. Such a thing is not prohibited in any rule, but it helps a lot, Muukka states.
According to Muuka, a separate measurement protocol will be made for Ramona’s competition venue, which must be submitted to the International Association of Athletics Federations along with the record declaration. Without it, ME cannot be ratified.
For example, the field must not be spent downhill more than one ratio in a thousand. In the 70-meter puck result, it means that the field must not travel more than seven centimeters. In addition, the puck must weigh two kilograms, the diameter of the throwing ring must be 2.5 meters and comply with the rules of the puck cage.
Ramona’s ring is surrounded by an unusual cage, specially designed for discus throwing.
– It was used, for example, in Stockholm’s Diamond League and in Rome a couple of years ago. In stadium use, it is not so safe, but there is no problem on the prairie, says Muukka.
In order for Alekna to get ME, she must also pass a doping test.
The “irrational” rule should be changed
However, the experts featured in this story agree on one thing: The International Association of Athletics Federations must give up its stone-age measuring rule.
Alekna’s ME throw was initially reported as 74.41, but six centimeters were lost from the record result in the inspection measurement. The original reading was given by an optical measuring device, which is used to solve all prize competition medals. However, international rules state that the final ME reading is confirmed using a steel measuring tape.
– This is completely absurd. Today, everything is done by machine. How is this even possible? Elm is updating.
– Optics are not checked afterwards anywhere other than world records. Without anything else, you should rely on optical and not switch measuring devices back and forth, Muukka compas.