Outdoor altitude adjusments for short sprinters are ridiculous in that they do not take into consideration wind or weather. Kids in Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and other places run into 2.0+ negative wind in 45 degrees and get time added? Really?
Outdoor altitude adjusments for short sprinters are ridiculous in that they do not take into consideration wind or weather. Kids in Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and other places run into 2.0+ negative wind in 45 degrees and get time added? Really?
If they are hitting -2.x winds that is the fault of the facility setting up the sprints to run into the wind. Are you proposing that we individually measure all of the conditions for each race and adjust them, with the expectation that there will be no errors in the process, either measurement or recording or calculating? You do what you can to make the playing field generally level, the things that are too specific to an individual race go under the yes/no system (wind > 2.0?).
Athletes all across the US have to deal with colder weather right now; it is not unique to athletes competing at altitude in those states. My question is that if time is added based on altitude for sprinters and taken away for distance runners, why is it not adjusted for jumpers and throwers? I feel like if the air is thin enough to adjust times for someone running a 60, 100, 200 or 400, it should be significant enough to adjust for someone running and flying through the air or throwing an implement through the air.
Winds are fairly unpredictable in these environments and adjusting the direction to run down wind doesn't always work. I just think the penalties are too great for short sprinters who run in these conditions and then get compared to times in California or Arizona where they run down wind at 80 degrees 7-8 times before the Pac 12 championships.
Sprinters running at altitude are aided by the thinner air. They have to move less air than at sea level, it is that simple. Take the altitude sprinters to sea level and they will run slower.