Rules Broken in Woman's Olympic Marathon Trials

I think I have a good handle on rules about pace setting and taking fluids only from official water stations - none of which were violated, but can someone clarify what constitutes technical assistance?

In this style race with multiple loops, coaches were able to communicate with their athletes many times. Is there a strict set of rules about what information can be given like time up or behind they are? Hard to believe they were only acting as cheerleaders. I'm not calling out anyone - just looking to get a better understanding of the rules and how they are applied. Would that considered technical assistance since the info is targeted to a specific individual or is it allowed because all coaches/athletes have equal ability to have the same kind of information relayed to them?

JoeGarland wrote:

I agree that the only possible violation is the passing of water bottles.

Query, though, the following: Cragg, Flanagan, Linden, and Goucher are together late, and Flanagan and Goucher are hurting. Cragg and Linden grab bottles, but Flanagan and Goucher miss theirs. Cragg gives hers to Flanagan, because they're teammates. Goucher get nothing; she fades to fourth.

The principle behind the rule is that no one athlete has an advantage once the race begins over another, and hence the requirement that you can get a bottle (including your own brew) from an official station but from nowhere else (unless you've carried it for the duration). Yet Flanagan benefited from having her teammate.

In that hypothetical, there is a strong, legitimate argument for DQing Flanagan.

I can see this causing a DQ.

10/10

Thank you!

It's good to know that some of the runners were listening to me when I presented the rules at the Technical Meeting.

The IAAF and USATF allows runners to share refreshments.

As mentioned, athletes are prohibited from taking refreshments from a place other then an "official" refreshment station. It's unfortunate but a race walker was DQ for taking water from a coach (not at the refreshment station)at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Pacing - The first thing we have to remember is that there are two races taking place on the same route (men's and women's). The pacing rule applies only to a person not in your race or a person being lapped.

D.Katz wrote:

The IAAF and USATF allows runners to share refreshments.

As mentioned, athletes are prohibited from taking refreshments from a place other then an "official" refreshment station. It's unfortunate but a race walker was DQ for taking water from a coach (not at the refreshment station)at the 2012 Olympic Games.

David, can you give us the USATF rule?

JoeGarland wrote:

I agree that the only possible violation is the passing of water bottles.

Except that the bottle was not passed/shared. It was not a generic water bottle. It was Flanagan's special fluids bottle intended only for her, and she was so out of it she wasn't able to retrieve it herself. In fact, it appear Flanagan had no clue she was supposed to get her bottle at that station.

If Cragg would have grabbed a plain water bottle then no problem. That it was a special bottle the athlete would missed without help is why the situation needs clarification from the USATF.

GaryB wrote:

asdasd213 wrote:

Rules were not broken. They explained to rules to us very carefully. We are allowed to pass bottles around to other competitors as long as it was picked up at the aid stations. You are not allowed to receive any fluids from any other place. People were passing around the rags with water as well.

Yes, we (coaches and athletes) were told in the technical meeting that runners could share water bottles and even special fluid bottle (although they said that was at the runners own risk) As for pacing the only thing that was brought was when runners were being lapped they could not be paced by runners lapping them.

But the bottle wasn't shared. It was Flanagan's special bottle.

JoeGarland wrote:

D.Katz wrote:

The IAAF and USATF allows runners to share refreshments.

As mentioned, athletes are prohibited from taking refreshments from a place other then an "official" refreshment station. It's unfortunate but a race walker was DQ for taking water from a coach (not at the refreshment station)at the 2012 Olympic Games.

David, can you give us the USATF rule?

This situation needs clarification. Sharing is one thing. Grabbing a special bottle for a runner who would have passed it up without help is something that needs consideration.

Curious fan wrote:

Dude, Alberto and Jerry hate each other so that wouldn't have happened. And rabbits ARE NOT allowed in Olympic trials nor is one runner suppose to give water to another runner whether it came from grandma or their official water stations. Did we watch the same race?

Also, I saw Meb hand a bottle to another runner. They highlighted on the broadcast. Just an observation. I thought it was pretty cool of him honestly. This is a minor issue. Amy did nothing wrong. Nobody can "prove" she was pacing shalane so just calm down. Some people are such sticklers for rules that they are looking for violations at all times.

Allowing athletes to share refreshment has been approved by the IAAF Road Race Commission, Technical Committee, and IAAF Competition Department. I will propose to have it spelled out in our next rule book.

The other rules are already stated

IAAF Rule 240.8

(g) An athlete may, at any time, carry water or refreshment by

hand or attached to his body provided it was carried from the

start or collected or received at an official station.

(h) An athlete who receives or collects refreshment or water from a

place other than the official stations, except where provided for

medical reasons from or under the direction of race officials, or

takes the refreshment of another athlete, should, for a first such

offence, be warned by the Referee normally by showing a

yellow card. For a second offence, the Referee shall disqualify

the athlete, normally by showing a red card. the athlete shall

then immediately leave the course.

Buy Flanagan did not receive the water from the station. She received it from Cragg.

It also wasn't water. It was Flanagan's personal bottle of fluids.

David,Thanks. But it is not in the USATF rules for road racing (rule 241(2)), which were quoted earlier. It is in the USATF's race walking rules. This needs to be fixed.

(f) An athlete may at any time carry water or refreshment by hand or attached to his body provided it was carried from the start or collected or received at an official station.

(g) A competitor who collects refreshment from a place other than a refreshment station is liable to disqualification by the Referee.

Substantively, I am concerned about my hypothetical. It is an issue of particular concern for the OTs because there 1, 2, and 3 are equally valid for qualifying, unlike other races. So in that circumstance, there is an incentive for teammates to aid one another to the exclusion of others. It is against the idea of fair competition. Something worth considering.

Finally, Kenny Moore wrote that in Munich, Frank Shorter took his bottle because someone had taken Shorter's. Moore was left with none. Shorter said, "sorry".

David,

To be clear, it is in the IAAF rules, which you quoted.

I cannot believe that something like this is being argued here.

OP is an idiot who does not know the rules.

0/10

Thank you

I quickly cut and pasted from the IAAF Rule book taking the race walk rule which is basically the same as the road running one....which is the same for the IAAF and USATF.

The bottom line is that the interpretation of the rule(s) were clearly stated during the technical meeting for all the athletes and coaches. We provided time for any questions. If an athlete or their coach believed that there was a violation of the rules they had the opportunity to protest - which was also stated at the technical meeting.

D.Katz wrote:

Thank you

I quickly cut and pasted from the IAAF Rule book taking the race walk rule which is basically the same as the road running one....which is the same for the IAAF and USATF.

The bottom line is that the interpretation of the rule(s) were clearly stated during the technical meeting for all the athletes and coaches. We provided time for any questions. If an athlete or their coach believed that there was a violation of the rules they had the opportunity to protest - which was also stated at the technical meeting.

What is clear is sharing "plain" water, and sharing your personal fluids bottle. What is not clear is a runner grabbing another runner's special fluids bottle, and there was no intention that it would be shared. Flanagan was never going to get that bottle on her own. That is why this situation needs clarification for future events.

Thanks David. The IAAF and USATF walking rules are the same. The road-race rules are different. I think you agree that they should be the same. (Maybe someone can do a red-line comparison?)

But substantively I would hope that in deciding what the rule should be, consideration should be given that under certain situations this one is contrary to a fundamental tenet of road racing, and results in one runner gaining an unfair advantage over another.