… Coe maintains Thompson-Herah has to beat Griffith-Joyner’s time

PRESIDENT of World Athletics, Lord Sebastian Coe, has weighed in on the debate surrounding the women’s 100m world record, noting that despite personal views on the matter Elaine Thompson-Herah will have to beat Florence Griffith-Joyner’s time on the track, as the Jamaican authorities express their readiness to lobby the governing body.

The late Griffith-Joyner clocked a highly controversial 10.49 seconds in July 1988 in Indianapolis during the quarterfinals of the US Olympics Trials, which stands as the fastest time ever recorded by a female sprinter.

However, the mark has been shrouded in scepticism and there have been strong calls from within the track and field community for the world record to be scratched from the books and replaced with the next-best clocking.

No one had come close for 33 years before Thompson-Herah delivered the second-fastest time in history when she stopped the clock at 10.54 seconds (+0.9m/s wind) at the Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon, on August 21 last year.

But Coe poured cold water on calls for Thompson-Herah’s time to be recognised as the world record for the event, pointing primarily to legal obstacles.

“Well first, let me just immediately celebrate the season that Elaine had – I mean, it was stunning. Now the 100m and 200m back-to-back double at the Olympic Games is an extraordinary achievement, and that marks her out as one of, if not the best sprinters of all times. She’s a fabulous athlete and a great ambassador for our sport,” Coe told the Jamaica Observer.

“This is an issue that has been around but there are some very difficult legal obstacles that stand in the way, particularly about records that have been set where the burden of proof can only be a positive test. And if you haven’t got that burden of proof it’s extremely difficult to start going back into the history books and saying, ‘Well, that record may be a bit suspicious so we must be a little bit careful about that’,” Coe said in reference to doping suspicions which have also stained the American athlete’s legacy and brought credibility issues for the sport during that time period.

Importantly, Griffith-Joyner never failed a drug test and retired in 1988 following the Olympics – before mandatory drug testing was introduced.

The main arguments against Griffith-Joyner’s world record time actually centre on the accuracy of the wind-reading equipment used at the meet.

Noted athletics publication Track and Field News and other observers have questioned the 0.0m/s wind reading for the race on what has been described as an extremely windy day, and especially when other races just before and after the event recorded wind readings well above the allowed +2.0m/s standard.

“We may all have our own views about the era in which some of these records were set but I think legally, and with structures like the Court of Arbitration for Sport where things get challenged, this is not easy territory. But, let us just celebrate those extraordinary performances that are beginning to get quite close to some of these records that we’re talking about,” Coe added.

However, president of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), Garth Gayle, believes Thompson-Herah’s time has a strong claim for world record status and confirmed that the JAAA is willing to present that argument at the highest level.

“I believe Elaine Thompson-Herah’s performance should be recognised as the world record; it is worthy of recognition. It was done in the highest of international competition and by such, there is a bona fide argument that her efforts are worthy of admission (as the world record),” Gayle told the Jamaica Observer.

“All the technical areas were covered, such as wind reading, and the authenticity of the track is not in question. Plus, it was done in recognised competition. We would definitely be prepared to do some lobbying on her (Thompson-Herah’s) behalf,” said Gayle.

Griffith-Joyner is also the holder of the 200m world record – 21.34 seconds – which she recorded at the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

Thompson-Herah has already started to chip away at Griffith-Joyner’s records, after clocking 10.62 at the Tokyo 2020 Games to better the American’s 10.62 seconds Olympic record, which was also set in Seoul. (Jamaica Observer)