Hurdle DQ Question

[Birgie]

My 13-year-old was competing in the regional Junior Olympic championships. She was expected to win the 100 and 200 meter hurdling events. During the 100 meter hurdles, the runner next to her hit the hurdle and fell into my daughter's lane knocking down my daughter resulting not only in a next to last place finish but also an injury. My daughter was on pace to win the event when this happened at the last hurdle. Because of her next to last place finish, she does not qualify to participate in the Junior Olympics. Is there any recourse for my daughter? She's devastated.

[Atticus]

During the 100 meter hurdles, the runner next to her hit the hurdle and fell into my daughter's lane knocking down my daughter resulting not only in a next to last place finish but also an injury.

The referee should have DQed the girl who knocked the hurdle, and s/he could have offered your daughter a one-off run against the clock. If she was injured, that would not have helped. That's it.*

*till I read tandfman's response, which pertains directly to this organization, so is better!

[Powell]

The referee should have DQed the girl who knocked the hurdle, and s/he could have offered your daughter a one-off run against the clock.

They could have ordered a re-run of the race, with everyone participating. It happened in the 1993 WIC women's 60mH.

[tandfman]

See USATF Rule 306.1(e).

>>(e) The Youth Athletics Executive Committee may advance any athlete into the National Junior Olympics meet because of extraordinary circumstances. The request shall be made in writing to the Association Youth Chair, who shall then submit it to the Regional Coordinator, who shall then submit it to the Zonal Representative who shall then submit it to the Youth Athletics Executive Committee for review.<<

I'd suggest that you get in touch with your Association's Youth Athletics Chair immediately.

[dj]

Follow tandfman's lead, that's the easiest, most expedient and most likely means of advancing your daughter.

But be prepared for a challenge. I don't know how many people qualify to nationals from your region, but one question you might have to respond to would be: If your daughter was "on pace to win the [100m hurdle race]" and was at the last hurdle, how is it that her opponen hit the last hurdle and then fell and hit your daughter? I can see instances in which this can happen, but the most common would be that the other girl was ahead of your daughter at the last hurdle when the incident occurred and thus usually in better position to win. Be prepared to explain this in closer detail.

[Master403]

The referee does not have to dq the athlete that knocked down the hurdle to provide some relief. In this case, considering the injury, the only recourse seems to be an appeal to the committee. Given that there is a limit on the number of athletes, a successful appeal might bump an innocent qualifier. It could be a tough sell.

As a referee I dealt with this a couple of times.

At the high school county semis, a runner knocked the seventh hurdle into the adjacent lane, tripping the runner in that lane. I told the coach and fallen runner that I couldn't advance him, but I had an empty lane in the last heat. They took advantage of the rerun. He ran the race, was up with the leaders, crashed into the seventh hurdle and ended up in a crumpled heap in the same place as in the earlier race.

In a JC regional qualifier, the men's hurdles was a crashfest. I counted 36 hurdles down on the track. A coach wanted me to dq a runner who knocked a hurdle into his lane. (She wanted to use as evidence a video shot on a phone from the stands on the other side.) I said I was sorry, but there was nothing I could do. Maybe you could tell your athlete if he doesn't want a downed hurdle in front of him, he should run faster. She replied Yeah, I already told him that.

[lonewolf]

I always understood/thought/assumed it was a rule that an official did/could not look at or consider evidence offered by spectators.

[Atticus]

The referee does not have to dq the athlete that knocked down the hurdle to provide some relief.

Oh yes, s/he absolutely does if it interferes with another hurdler, as it did here.

[Atticus]

I always understood/thought/assumed it was a rule that an official did/could not look at or consider evidence offered by spectators.

HS rules say that no unofficial video will be used, but I know that I have, if there's undeniable evidence available and I didn't see it myself. Sue me!

[Birgie]

See USATF Rule 306.1(e).

>>(e) The Youth Athletics Executive Committee may advance any athlete into the National Junior Olympics meet because of extraordinary circumstances. The request shall be made in writing to the Association Youth Chair, who shall then submit it to the Regional Coordinator, who shall then submit it to the Zonal Representative who shall then submit it to the Youth Athletics Executive Committee for review.<<

I'd suggest that you get in touch with your Association's Youth Athletics Chair immediately.

Thank you so much for your reply. Thankfully her team coach is also the Association's Youth Chair. I'm just so disappointed for her. She loves track and has been to the Junior Olympic finals every year since she was 7. We'll make sure her coach files a request for her. Thanks again!