Dear Editor

As everything in life, one is usually given at least a second chance. In high school or university when one, at the first attempt, fails to acquire certification, the option is always available to the candidate to re-sit the exam. Politicians everywhere, when they have messed up, usually resign, but soon are given an opportunity to be re-elected to serve, often in the same roles and functions of which they made a poor judgement.

This leads me to make the point that the “no false start” rule implemented in 2010 for professional track athletes is at best, inhumane and at worst, short-sighted and vindictive. How in heavens can an athlete who has trained and put in the necessary work be denied from displaying his achieved task merely for a shuffle at the start, or even a big jump out of the starting block, as in the case of Usain Bolt recently, prior to the sounding of the starter’s bullet?!

There are additional reasons that this rule is unjust and unfair. Most, if not all of the other track and field events have built in them the availability for errors and blatant mistakes. Among some of them are long jump, high jump, shot put, javelin, and so on. Why should athletes participating in these events so mentioned above, be allowed to make two or more errors and still be given an opportunity to take home a medal for themselves and their country, while a talented athlete such as Usain Bolt, for example, because of one “jump start” be denied this opportunity?

Second, why should the paying audience be denied to experience the best for their hard-earned dollars? Third, the fact that Jamaicans participate in the track component more than any other of the track and field events proves more disadvantageous for this nation than most others with such a stringent rule in place. Fourth, this “no false start” rule is bound to water down the quality of the sport. The athletes for fear of being disqualified, particularly in the sprint races, will end up running more slowly and not as spectacularly and flashy, denying the paying audience the kind of hedonism that they seek by attending these events.

I am extremely surprised that the athletes who are so affected did not protest against this ridiculous rule from the start and it’s only now that a few of these athletes are crying foul.

I suggest either that the powers that be revert to the “two-false-starts-and-you-are-out” rule for all track events or that the no-false start rule remain, but is not applicable to sprint races such as the 100m and 200m.

I hope something will be done to correct this unfair and unjust rule.

Joshua Spencer

Toronto, Canada

joshuaspencer@rogers.com