A proposal to recalibrate the track and field world records by removing all records set prior to 2005 has caused considerable controversy. I offer some views on the proposal, and explain why the step is probably necessary, but should not be ‘abused’ as a sign of a new generation.
Sports management
The sub-2 hour marathon attempt: The pacing strategy
The Nike-Breaking 2 attempt will happen in Monza this weekend. I don’t think a sub-2 is possible, but what will be fascinating is to see a) how they go about pacing the attempt, and what happens if it starts to fall away; and b) what the collective advantage is of all the tactics employed. I predict 2:01:55 at best, a DNF is also a real possibility. More thoughts here.
Has rugby applied high tackle laws, or have referees stopped enforcing them?
Rugby introduced new high tackle laws with stricter sanctions for high tackles, aimed at lowering the height to reduce head injury risk. Recent criticism has suggested that referees are now softening their stance, and failing to apply the new laws, and that nothing has changed and we are back where we started. The data suggest otherwise, as this post explains
The way, then the lack of will: A story of anti-doping and those who might save it
The history of antidoping can be divided into two overlapping phases. There was once a huge lack of a “way” – inadequate tools to catch doping, leaving antidoping two steps behind the cheats. Advances in science have narrowed this, creating a better “way”. This has exposed a bigger problem – a lack of “will”. This article describes this, and offers a conceptual solution.
On the Jamaican clenbuterol positives: A procedural failure and credibility black hole
An explosive new investigative report has revealed that numerous athletes have tested positive when their samples from Beijing 2008 were retested. They include Jamaican male sprinters, so dominant in those Games. The IOC and WADA however did not act, suggesting the cases are all contamination, not worthy of pursuing. How viable is this, and what does it mean for already bottomed-out anti-doping credibility?