Rules expert Mika Muukka says that the board of the International Association of Athletics Federations could in principle still change the jury’s decision about Karsten Warholm.
Norwegian superstar Karsten Warholm the semi-final run in the 400 meters at the real World Athletics Championships caused a media frenzy in Italy and Norway, among others. For example, holding the Finnish record in the sport Oskari Mörön the comment appeared in several media in those countries.
Finnish Sports Federation’s competition manager and rules expert Mika Muukka believes that the commotion got wind under its wings, because Warholm is the clear number one in the world statistics.
– If it was a slightly weaker athlete, there might not have been a media uproar, Muukka states.
Muukka also recently commented on the situation. According to him, the competition organizer usually picks up clear violations and, if necessary, disqualifies the athlete. If this does not happen, the teams can file a protest.
Italy filed a protest because the team Alessandro Sibilio would have possibly made it to the final if Warholm had been disqualified.
Sports director of the Norwegian national athletics team Erlend Slokvik said on Monday night to his country’s public broadcaster NRK that Italy’s protest came too late. After the official results, there is usually half an hour to make a protest.
Muukka says that the protest will be considered if new “evidence” appears. Likewise news Italian media La Gazzetta Dello Sport.
The board of judges decides
Muukka reminds that the competition organizer’s jury evaluates the competition during it and immediately after crossing the finish line. The jury, for example, checks whether there have been track violations or whether fellow competitors have been pushed. In hurdle races, fence crossings are checked.
Muukka says that the race organizers have at their disposal Hawk-Eye. It is a computer system using high-speed cameras. The technology has become known for slow-motion in athletics, as a tool for video referees (VAR) in soccer, and in many other sports.
– The “Hawk’s Eye” video system is not able to look at all points, says Muukka.
If the performances were not rejected before the officialization of the results, the teams that participated in the competition can file a protest. That’s when the matter went to a three-person panel of judges, which hears the protest. They can interview the competition organizer’s jury. In addition, they usually also watch the situation on video from as many angles as possible.
Muukka says that based on the photo and video published in the media, Warholm’s mistake looks like a clear rejection. However, he does not know how to assess how the situation has looked from numerous other angles.
– From one angle it appears that a mistake has occurred and from the other it doesn’t. The Council of Judges has discussed the situation and decided that no fault has occurred.
Can the decision still change?
Muukka estimates that the decision of the Council of Judges will remain in force. At the same time, he believes that the media demands answers from the International Association of Athletics Federations (WA).
– However, it is not known whether the WA government will decide to look at the matter again. Today, they are likely to be forced to explain the situation.
Muukka reminds that it is difficult to assess the situation from one angle. The public should be shown all the pictures and videos that are available to the judging panel.
– The whole should be looked at from many different angles and I believe that the Council of Judges has done that.