Paula Radcliffe, Jonathan Edwards under threat – is it time to reset world records?

Updated 02/05/2017 at 15:11 GMT

Paula Radcliffe and Jonathan Edwards have slammed a radical pitch to wipe their world records – but is their opposition justified?

Paula Radcliffe, Jonathan Edwards

Image credit: Eurosport

Under new proposals suggested by a European Athletics taskforce, world and European records achieved pre-2005 would be rewritten in the IAAF books. Somewhat conveniently, Usain Bolt – track and field’s leading light – is unaffected.

It means GB stars Radcliffe and Edwards, women's marathon and men's triple jump world record holders respectively, are in danger of seeing their marks chalked off.

Taskforce chair Pierce O'Callaghan admitted that innocent athletes would be "collateral damage", but said it was a necessary evil in the journey to restoring athletics’ credibility.

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Paula Radcliffe, EPO, doping

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"Apologies to the athletes, we never intended to damage their reputation and legacy," O'Callaghan told BBC Radio 5 live.

"It [the proposal] is intended to give the public belief and credibility in what they are watching in the sport."

Both Radcliffe and Edwards branded the move "cowardly". Edwards told the Guardian:

I thought my record would go some day, just not to a bunch of sports. It seems incredibly wrong-headed and cowardly. And I don't think it achieves what they want it to. Instead it cast doubts on generations of athletics performances.

The IAAF has only stored blood and urine samples since 2005. Other world records under threat would include Mike Powell's long jump mark in 1991 and Hicham El Guerrouj's 1500m in 1998.

Hicham El Guerrouj, WR

Image credit: Getty Images

"We hope people look at it in that vein, rather than stripping great athletes like Paula of their records," O'Callaghan added.

"Unfortunately, Paula ran her records in a golden period that happens to be two years before the technology moved on.

"People should not look at Paula's records and throw them in with doping records - she achieved her performance, as did Jonathan, with 100 per cent integrity."

THE NEW CRITERIA

The report proposes that world and European records should only be recognised if the performance is achieved at an approved event where high standards of officiating and technical equipment can be guaranteed.

It also calls for an agreed number of doping control tests in the months before the performance and the doping sample after the record to be stored and made available for re-testing for 10 years.

IAAF president Sebastian Coe said on Monday:

I like this because it underlines that we [athletics governing bodies] have put into place doping control systems and technology that are more robust and safer than 15 or even 10 years ago. There will be athletes, current record holders, who will feel that the history we are recalibrating will take something away from them but I think this is a step in the right direction and if organised and structured properly we have a good chance of winning back credibility in this area.

WHAT RECORDS ARE UNDER THREAT?

Men

Event	Athlete	Year	Record
1500m	Hicham El Guerrouj	1998	3:26.00
5000m	Kenenisa Bekele	2004	12:37.35
3000m steeplechase	Saif Saaeed Shaheen	2004	7:53.63
400m hurdles	Kevin Young	1992	46.78s
High jump	Javier Sotomayor	1993	2.45m
Long jump	Mike Powell	1991	8.95m
Triple jump	Jonathan Edwards	1995	18.29m
Shot	Randy Barnes	1990	23.12m
Discus	Jurgen Schult	1986	74.08m
Hammer	Yuriy Sedykh	1986	86.74m
Javelin	Jan Zelezny	1996	98.48m

Mike Powell, 1991

Image credit: Imago

Women

Event	Athlete	Year	Record
100m	Florence Griffith Joyner	1988	10.49s
200m	Florence Griffith Joyner	1988	21.34s
400m	Marita Koch	1985	47.60s
800m	Jarmila Kratochvílova	1983	1:53.28
Marathon	Paul Radcliffe	2003	2:15:25
400m hurdles	Yuliya Pechonkina	2003	52.34m
High jump	Stefka Kostadinova	1987	2.09m
Long jump	Galina Chistyakova	1988	7.52m
Triple jump	Inessa Kravets	1995	15.50m
Shot	Natalya Lisovskaya	1987	22.63m
Discus	Gabriele Reinsch	1988	76.80m
Heptathlon	Jackie Joyner-Kersee	1988	7291 pts

Florence Griffith Joyner, 1988 Olympics

Image credit: Getty Images

THE PROS

Like it or not, the shadow of doping is cast over athletics. Rio marathon champion Jemima Sumgong became the latest athlete to fail a drug test for EPO, with credibility and trust continuing to sink to new depths. Rather than lauding new performances, breakout success is treated with a shrug of the shoulders – and that’s a direct consequence of a stream of doping stories.

Eliminating the old records would help gain recognition for athletes, particularly female sprinters and throwers, who are potentially chasing impossible standards. There’s a hefty reward for breaking world records, whether it’s prize money or sponsorship deals, and there are some events with a laughable amount of suspicion.

Jemima Sumgong (KEN) of Kenya celebrates after winning the race

Image credit: Reuters

THE CONS

We’re not suddenly living in a golden age of clean athletics. Just because you freeze doping samples, it doesn’t mean you’ll catch all the cheats – although, obviously, it’s a great stride forward. The state-sponsored doping revelations around Russia, and the apathy/inability of Kenya towards tackling their current crisis, shows how far athletics is from declaring a clean sport. Hastily wiping the records will only lead to embarrassment in the future – even with the new criteria.

Also, what’s the point? As the current world records are yet to be disproved, people are still going to compare any future marks to the previous ensemble. It’s not like they’re going to vanish from memory.

And anyway, there’s another solution: ban cheats for life. It's really that simple. While the threat of having a world record unratified might not scare a potential doper, a no nonsense policy that removes all cheats immediately might just make them think twice.

With additional reporting from Reuters

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