Disgusting practices

First, in the Men’s 800 Metre final, Kenyan David Rudisha won the gold medal as his fellow countrymen deliberately physically blocked out or squeezed out the other competitors, lessening the challenges from the others.

One wonders if the race was not hindered by these man-made obstacles if he have won. Would this now lead to “race mafias” whereby people and/or countries make deals to deliberately block others in the race? Was this happening before? Second, in the Women’s 800 Metre final, Bahamian Shaunae Miller won the gold by diving over the finish line and not running through.

The commentators indicated it looked like a beach volleyball move. The person who came second ran the race to the end and over the finish line.

Again, one wonders if the winner did not throw herself over the finish line if she would have one.

One is then left to wonder if this was a running/sprint race or an anything-over-thefinish- line-will-win race.

Will this now lead other people to follow this and create a new trend and it will no longer be a running race? To many people, while these two practices seem legally possible to do, it hinders the natural or expected nature of the sport.

I await the relevant sporting bodies to take some corrective actions for the future.

Allan Massy via email