Rules Broken in Woman's Olympic Marathon Trials

I agree , Cragg and Flanagan broke the universal rules of fair play.

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?

Runner's are allowed to give water bottles to each other and share. This was discussed during the previous race technical meeting. You cannot do it to the point of acting as a helper to the other athlete. Which is so ambiguous is its pretty tough to nail down. The way it was explained was if you were retrieving bottles specifically for the other person and not for yourself, sharing a bottle you grabbed for yourself is OK.

I did not see the extent of bottle sharing between the two tof know if a rule was indeed broken.

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?

Cite the rule please?

Oh, you can't.

Exactly. OP needs to watch Dubai marathon. Some cut 20 feet off the course last year and no one was DQ'd. Gebressalie even said it was no big deal (unless they got the course record, which they didn't).

They also pass water bottles between each other. Perfectly OK.

No rules broken. Drafting is allowed. Ridiculous post.

most improved wrote:

Exactly. OP needs to watch Dubai marathon. Some cut 20 feet off the course last year and no one was DQ'd. Gebressalie even said it was no big deal (unless they got the course record, which they didn't).

They also pass water bottles between each other. Perfectly OK.

No rules broken. Drafting is allowed. Ridiculous post.

Plain water is not an issue. Nothing special about plain water.

Sharing "your" personal fluids bottle with others is not an issue.

Grabbing another runner's personal fluids bottle, because they were so out of it they forgot about it, carrying it for, and giving it to, the out of it runner, with no intention of sharing it should not be allowed.

Ok, see the point, but I don't know the rules well enough to make a judgement.

60 seconds though from third to fourth. And the problems were during the last 5000metre, right? So we're talking a massive 5secs a lap. That's a huge lead. Would it have made a different? Doubtful. They were so far ahead.

Flanagan said she was ready to quit. She was absolutely fried. Cragg saved her bacon. Cragg gaped Flanagan by 59 seconds after she bolted. Without her special fluids Flanagan would not have finished a minute ahead of fourth. She might have completely crashed before the finish. That is why what Cragg did should be disallowed in the future. Let the cards where they may. Let someone in Flanagan's situation tough it out on their own if they can.

Personal Fluids Bottle wrote:

Grabbing another runner's personal fluids bottle, because they were so out of it they forgot about it, carrying it for, and giving it to, the out of it runner . . . should not be allowed.

Cragg was giving Flanagan an advantage that other runners did not have, specifically that Kara Goucher did not have, and which could easily have determined a difference in their placings.

I agree. I think this is a real issue! Like it or not, this isn't a team event.

Lmj wrote:

I agree. I think this is a real issue! Like it or not, this isn't a team event.

The same situation would never happen with runners who were not teammates who were running together. That is why it should not be allowed.

Lol funny how people want our top American female marathoner DQ'd... Ya'll messed up!

Silly thread.

First the idea of two runners side by side being pacing. Then basically everyone in the race should be DQ.

Second the idea of sharing fluids being disqualifyable is also quite silly. It happened all the time and happens in every major marathon. To create an arbitrary distinction and say that it's ok if 1) someone had taken a sip or just put it near the mouth first and then handed the bottle over but not if 2) the same is done except without pretending to put to the mouth before passing, is rather assinine an argument.

Further I've seen it in races all the time where someone grabs for a bottle and misses and a competitor gives the bottle over when he's done.

Also to create an arbitrary distinction that its ok with water but not a fluid bottle is again stupid. We don't even know what was in the bottles, it could have just been water, so would be unenforceable to make a distinction. Further there's no way to prove that it wasn't just a mistake that Cragg didn't know which bottle was hers so grabbed both to figure out which was hers, then realizing which was hers, handed the one that was Shalene's over. Really how much energy does it take to reach to a table vs another persons hand? 1 calorie? Ridiculous arguments here.

The first time I saw direct competitors passing water back and forth between each other in a major marathon, I was amazed. Thousands of dollars on the line, yet in the middle of the race, competitors from different teams and different countries are passing water back and forth. Really amazing, and a true measure of sportsmanship!

Those who are arguing that Cragg broke the rules, or the spirit of the rules, when the man who announced the rules at the Trials themselves has said it wasn't a violation, exemplify the self-destructive nature of the sport.

What Cragg did was an incredible display of selflessness and teamwork. A lesson that more athletes should take note of.

Salazar would have filed a protest and the cryin' Kara would be in position to make the team. Ain't happening.

R i g h t....

Only with teammates wrote:

Lmj wrote:

I agree. I think this is a real issue! Like it or not, this isn't a team event.

The same situation would never happen with runners who were not teammates who were running together. That is why it should not be allowed.

What if the two were best of friends WITHOUT being teammates. The same situation could still happen.

What if Shalane recovered and beat Amy? (not very likely in this instance) Amy is putting herself at the same hypothetical disadvantage as all other runners.

Rules are fine the way they are. Sharing or encouraging between competitors is a different situation than receiving outside or unofficial help. Maybe the rules can clarify this a bit but they are basically fine the way they are written.

At the technical meeting we were told grabbing another athletes fluid bottle was against the rules and could result in disqualification. However I assume that was meant of the context of trying to sabotage another athlete to prevent them from getting their drink. I feel like what happened shouldn't be allowed but I don't think its that big of deal. I think if it happens the athletes should be given a warning not to do it again and if it continues then you go down the DQ route.

D.Katz wrote:

Thank you. It needs to be clarified in the future.

David Katz, Congratulations on your reappointment to the IAAFTech Committee.

Could an athlete be DQ'ed because they took a personal water bottle of another athlete?

Extreme example Suppose I am ahead of a rival and grab his special table self supplied hydration mix from every table and dump it before he gets to the table.

Is there a rule or a general unsportsman like conduct provision the officials can use.

Damn you Colt!

mountain from molehill wrote:

What if the two were best of friends WITHOUT being teammates. The same situation could still happen.

The issue is that Cragg picked up Flanagan's bottle, for Flanagan and gave it to her, because Flanagan wasn't getting the bottle for herself, and had Cragg not given Flanagan's bottle to Flanagan, Flanagan most likely would have dropped out of the race, and Goucher would have finished in 3rd place.

I don't care for Goucher, but I don't care for certain runners getting illegal race advantages that others don't have, particularly when such advantage results in an undeserved place on the team.