The opening day of the ISSA Boys and Girls Athletics Championships on Tuesday saw an unusually high number of false starts, raising concerns among athletes, coaches and spectators inside the National Stadium. However, meet director Anthony Davis has sought to assure that the issue was not due to any malfunctioning equipment.

Following an extensive review with the start team, Davis confirmed that all starting equipment was functioning as expected.

“We had a meeting with our start team and reviewed the incidents that occurred throughout the day. Based on the reports we received, we are satisfied that all the equipment is operating properly,” Davis stated. “The items were calibrated and stored correctly, so we can rule out any malfunctioning equipment.”

One notable instance on Tuesday involved the Class Two 100m heat, where four athletes were ejected from the race for false starting.

Davis also emphasised that false starts are a common occurrence in athletics.

“As you know, false starts happen in almost every athletics meet. While it may seem like an unusually high number, when we analyse the situation, it is not out of the ordinary,” he explained.

“We understand the perception that things could be better, but ultimately, it comes down to the athletes’ reactions. In many cases, athletes simply false start, and we have to recall them. It was clear that in several instances, there was no need to check reaction times, athletes just anticipated the gun and ran out early,” Davis pointed out.

To address the situation, Davis highlighted that the starting officials will work closely with competitors to help them remain composed before the race begins.

“Our starter is doing their best to keep the athletes relaxed and reassure them that we aim for a fair start for everyone. We encourage them to focus and wait for the sound of the gun,” Davis noted.

Despite the high number of false starts, Davis stressed that officials remain confident in the fairness of the competition.

“We are confident that there is no malfunctioning equipment, and athletes are not being held in their blocks for an unreasonable amount of time. There have been no reports of issues with the starting blocks,” he underscored.