The Closest Finish in the Women‘s 100M You’ll Ever See Could Come Down to a Coin Flip
- Posted on June 25, 2012 at 9:25am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Bobby Kersee is struggling to make heads or tails of USA Track and Field’s new procedures designed to help break the third-place tie between Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh in the women’s 100 meters.
Heads or tails just might be what decides it.
The scenarios involve either a coin toss or a runoff to determine the third and final spot on the team for the London Games.
If both athletes choose the same option, it will determine the tiebreaker. If the athletes disagree, the tiebreaker will be a runoff. If both athletes decline a preference, the tiebreaker will be a coin toss.
Confusing? Kersee certainly thinks so.
The coach told The Associated Press the sprinters won’t make any kind of decision until after they complete the 200 later this week. The final is Saturday.
Kersee wants them to fully focus on the task at hand and not worry about a possible runoff – or a coin flip.
“Nine times out of 10, most athletes aren’t going to want to flip a coin,” Kersee said. “Would you go to the Super Bowl and after two overtimes or what have you, have the referees take both coaches to the middle of the field and say, `We’re going to flip to see who wins the Super Bowl?‘ I don’t see that.”
The national track governing body said they want the matter decided by Sunday when the trials end. Kersee said he will wait until 11:59 p.m. if he has to, just to ensure more rest for the sprinters.
He’s fearful of a quick turnaround between the 200 final – should both make it – and another round of the 100. That could be a lot to ask of his athletes.
“I’m asking them to focus on the 200 meters, go through drug testing and hopefully they’ll both make the team in the 200 meters,” Kersee said. “Then we’ll meet as a group, we’ll meet with USA Track and Field. I will be in the room on the meeting, but I will have no decision-making power. I’m going to be listening, but let the athletes decide. Let the managers decide what they want to do – I want the best for the athletes.”
Kersee said earlier in the day he’s in favor a runoff to break the tie. Only, he wanted the race held later, maybe even a few weeks later, on a track somewhere to be determined.
To decide anything right now, the coach said, isn’t fair to Felix and Tarmoh, especially because they are both running the 200 that begin Thursday.
Felix and Tarmoh finished in a dead heat in the 100 on Sunday, each leaning across the finish line in 11.068 seconds. They’re looking to join Carmelita Jeter and Tianna Madison on the team.
With no protocol in place at the time of the tie, the organization had to meet to come up with a plan, which was approved by the United States Olympic Committee.
And one of the options was a coin flip, with the rules as to how the coin will be tossed explicitly spelled out. For instance, it says, “the USATF representative shall bend his or her index finger at a 90-degree angle to his or her thumb, allowing the coin to rest on his or her thumb.”
Being the coach of both, Kersee knows he has a conflict of interest in this situation. But he insisted he’s only concerned with one thing: Doing right by his runners.
“You don’t have to bother us about this now,” he said. “You can wait until later.”
Originally, Tarmoh was declared the third-place finisher and the official scoring said she had edged training partner Felix by 0.0001 seconds. But the results were reviewed, and after a lengthy delay, the dead heat was announced.
In swimming, ties are settled with swim-offs between the two deadlocked opponents. Track has tiebreaking procedures for many of its events, as well, but this is a special case for which there is no written solution – a tie for the last spot on the Olympic team.
The USATF said in a release that two cameras are used to determine photo-finishes, one on the outside of the track and another on the inside.
In Saturday’s race, the image from the outside camera was inconclusive for determining the finish because both runners’ arms obscured their torsos.
The torso position is used to determine the finish.
The image from the inside camera, shot at 3,000 frames per second, was analyzed by timers and referees, who declared the tie.
Should the sprinters settle the matter with a runoff, Kersee said he won’t be at the track for the race.
Sure, he will warm Felix and Tarmoh up. And yes, he will give them some last-minute advice.
But then he will head for the exit.
“I’ll go on a long walk,” Kersee said. “When I come back, I’ll get the news on who did what.”
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wampanoag
Posted on June 26, 2012 at 12:07pmHow much money (taxpayers’ included), time, and effort, is expended in competitions to see who is 1/100th of a second faster then the other guy, or jump 1/16 of inch high then the next guy. It is utter insanity and a waste of time and money. Bread and circuses.
Report Post »AChatterer
Posted on June 26, 2012 at 3:19am“We’re going to flip to see who wins the…”
Bud Selig is thinking, “Why didnt someone think of this 10 years ago?!?!”
Report Post »Inlightofthings
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 10:27pmThis is far too important to leave up to a coin toss. Convene Congress and the Senate…Durbin and company can settle this like they did Schilling and the Bounty thing…now that’s some important stuff.
Report Post »Lib Whisperer
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 10:23pmThey should give it to the pretty one. Hmmmm. OK. Scratch that. Just let ‘em both race in the finals. IOW two 3rd seeds.
Report Post »Ishmot2
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 7:48pmIt wasn’t a close finish two went over the line before the two in third and forth then there where four more after that. How is that a close race? A close race is if the first and second place is only .001 of a second between them.
Report Post »Ishmot2
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 7:44pmThis isn’t American Idle where there is only one winner, everyone gets a orange slice and a trophy, good job manly girls!
Report Post »YahuShuaChrist
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 4:39pmThus says The Lord, to the United States and to this wicked generation of modern peoples…
Hear the word of The Lord your God, The God of Israel, The God of All, for there is no other: You are walking into death… Dead man’s bones lost in a sea of sin, a dark ocean of transgression! You have forgotten Me, days without end, thus must I also forget you in the Day of Harvest. Yet of your evil deeds, even all this wickedness of which you are guilty, I shall remember! Behold, I shall bring it to the forefront, that all who walk in it may receive of My punishment!… Then you shall know, there is a God in Heaven who reigns and judges the earth….
http://www.TrumpetCallofGodOnline.com
Report Post »Conservative-Atheist
Posted on June 27, 2012 at 11:25amAh yes, this post sheds some light on who won that race. LOL
Report Post »ronin_6
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 2:48pmSeriously. All those girls, everyone of them, needs to be checked for steroids. Look at their biceps! That is not normal.
Report Post »skyehawk
Posted on June 26, 2012 at 7:21pmYeah agree here ……….Did you ever get a good look at the two “tennis playing sisters ‘ speaking of roids ’ Put up a picture of Ray lewis (linebacker for the Ravens ) and the two tomatoes , I defy you to tell or see the difference between the three……
Report Post »Eric_The_Red_State
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 2:04pmWho cares?
Report Post »It’s just a race – not life or death.
OneTermPresident
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:58pmHow does Jeter (winner) pass drug tests?
Report Post »US-First
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 3:57pmBecause only about 2% of the possible ergogenic aids are screened in Olympic athletes. That means they have un regulated access to the other 98% of known performance compounds. All it takes is money and an athlete dumb enough to think winning a 100m sprint is worth serious health risks. Then again being a cop or soldier or stunt person carries substantial risk. It just seems like 100m is not a real job?
Report Post »garbagecanlogic
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:50pmNo on the coin flip. Let them run the race over between the two of them.
Praise Be To Obama. Psalm 109:8
The U.S. Out Of The U.N.
Report Post »The U.N. Out Of The U.S.
Shifty6
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:08pmI want to know where affirmative action comes in to play.
Report Post »AMENDMENT
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 1:18pmLmao
Report Post »Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:04pmJust give everyone a participation medal and call it a day. It is unfair that one runner worked harder than the other…
Report Post »rbcintexas
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 11:10amThis is a joke because the winner is with out a doubt #6. It may have been close but you can definitely see that she won.
Report Post »scuba13
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 10:45amThey are great, I just wish my mother wouldn’t have told me to stay away from fast women.
Report Post »black9897
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 10:09amA lot of fine women. Not all.
Report Post »GeorgeWashingtonslept here
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 9:54amWell, I think they should let the one that finished last win. :)
Report Post »djmaine
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 10:49amYour close. Really this is the generation where…Wait for it… They are ALL winners!!!
Report Post »agsb02
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 9:52amA run off should be the only thing considered
Report Post »huey6367
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 9:34amThey’re still talking about this Olympic stuff?
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