Bolt... world junior 200m record not recognised. – File SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, CMC:
JAMAICAN USAIN Bolt's sizzling run at this year's Junior Pan American track and field championship in Barbados is not being recognised as a world junior record because the track was not officially certified.
The Barbados National Stadium track did not secure International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) certification and the council has refused to ratify Bolt's time of 20.13 seconds at the mid-July meet as a world record.
"The track was not certified and it ended up being a non-permit meet," Puerto Rican IAAF vice-president Amadeo Francis told CMC Sport yesterday.
"For one reason or another, neither the Barbados Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) nor the National Sports Council (NSC) in Barbados ensured that certification was done," Francis added.
The IAAF also refused to ratify American Alyson Felix's 22.11 world junior record victory at the Mexico Grand Prix in May, because the meet organisers were not prepared to do drug testing.
On Sunday July 20, Bolt topped American David Neville (20.63) and sped to the Pan Am Juniors 200 gold in 20.13 seconds, equalling the 18-year-old world best mark by American Roy Martin.
Francis said the IAAF rigidly applied the guidelines to deny Bolt a share of the world mark.
"Bolt is a young, promising athlete. He still has two more years as a junior and unless he breaks a leg or something he is going to break that record several times again, but it is unfortunate that the athlete is penalised when the local organisation does not do what it is supposed to do," Francis said.
BARBADOS TRACK
Francis said the ruling does not mean something is wrong with the Barbados track, only that the authorities in the country did not properly certify the venue for IAAF competition.
"The rules require certification and everybody in our North America, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) area knows this.
"There is no reason to believe that the track would not meet the criteria because it was put down by Mondo, which is a reputable company," said Francis, who is also the NACAC president.
Certifying an international venue includes a surveyor endorsing the distance specifications, attesting to the dimensional accuracy of the overall track and all lanes, plus correct track markings, and competition installations and infield in the format approved by the IAAF council.
Bolt, who turned 17 years old in August, captured one of the five IAAF Rising Star Awards last month.
The award is given to the world's most impressive junior athletes for 2003. He became the youngest ever world champion when he won the 200 metres at last year's World Junior Championships in Kingston.
