17-08-2022, 13:20
British long jumper Fincham-Dukes produced his best ever jump 8.06metres in the first round to take second place in the Long Jump. His jump was adjudged legal. He retained second place with that jump to win a Silver medal. Protests after the event led to his jump being reassessed as illegal as a tiny part of the toe of his shoe appeared to over the take-off point. That jump was ruled out and only his second best jump was allowed to count so he went down to sixth.
Now imagine Real Madrid's goal after the game is re-scrutinised and officials decide to rule it out, they then go on to look at a disallowed Liverpool effort and decide it should have stood. Suddenly Real Madrid having become European champions 1-0 find they actually lost 0-1 and Liverpool are declared champions. Not only would there be riots, but also Real Madrid would protest that they would have played very differently had they known they were a goal down instead of one in front.
Certainly Fincham-Dukes lost at the very least his final jump because he jumped knowing the leading mark was 46 cm ahead of him, way beyond anyone else in the field's capabilities. Indeed one the gold medallist Tentoglu had demonstrated his massive superiority over the rest of the field every jumper other than Fincham-Dukes was straining to leap 8.07 rather than bridge the impossible gap to the leader. For his part Fincham-Dukes spent the whole competition under the misapprehension that he was in second place which surely might have affected his performance.
He has been cheated by over-officiousness and those who gained by protesting should be regarded as looking in sportsmanship. If there is one important lesson we learn from sport, it is to take the rough with the smooth. Alternatively we can whine like five-year-olds, daddy that's not fair.
Now imagine Real Madrid's goal after the game is re-scrutinised and officials decide to rule it out, they then go on to look at a disallowed Liverpool effort and decide it should have stood. Suddenly Real Madrid having become European champions 1-0 find they actually lost 0-1 and Liverpool are declared champions. Not only would there be riots, but also Real Madrid would protest that they would have played very differently had they known they were a goal down instead of one in front.
Certainly Fincham-Dukes lost at the very least his final jump because he jumped knowing the leading mark was 46 cm ahead of him, way beyond anyone else in the field's capabilities. Indeed one the gold medallist Tentoglu had demonstrated his massive superiority over the rest of the field every jumper other than Fincham-Dukes was straining to leap 8.07 rather than bridge the impossible gap to the leader. For his part Fincham-Dukes spent the whole competition under the misapprehension that he was in second place which surely might have affected his performance.
He has been cheated by over-officiousness and those who gained by protesting should be regarded as looking in sportsmanship. If there is one important lesson we learn from sport, it is to take the rough with the smooth. Alternatively we can whine like five-year-olds, daddy that's not fair.