Fair or Foul? Should Julius Yego’s 91.39m Monster Javelin Throw Have Counted in Birmingham?
by LetsRun.com
June 7, 2015
We here at LetsRun.com don’t normally obsess over the men’s javelin but today’s competition between Julius Yego, Keshorn Walcott and Vitezslav Vesely at the 2015 Sainsbury’s Birmingham Grand Prix – IAAF Diamond League Track and Field meeting was riveting . In the sixth and final round Yego throw the world’s longest throw in 9 year (91.39) or did he? The sector lines only went out 90 meters.
The sector lines didn’t anticipate a 90+ meter monster throw
Was it fair or foul? The officials said it was a foul but measured it anyway. Then 90 minutes later they changed their mind said it should count.
We aren’t experts in the javelin but we do know how to use a free online photo editor. If you extend the line out, it looks like Yego’s throw is just barely a foul.
See for yourself (Click on photo for a larger image).
Should Juliu’s Yego’s throw counted? Not according to our analysis using a free online photo editor.
So why did they allow it to count.
Well Jesse Squire of the Daily Relay has the answer – which he posted on the messageboard, “If I have my facts straight, they didn’t just extend the sector lines but remeasured the sector, and that’s how it was ruled in. Even a tiny error can get magnified to 6 inches when you go 90+ meters out from the foul line. I now have a fantastic story problem for next year’s math classes.”
Discuss the competition in our messageboard: Julius Yego 91.39 For the Win!?!.