UKC

He's been pulled out of the world champs because they think he might have norovirus, and the IAAF have come out with some bullshit about U.K. Health regulations.

Unbelievable decision.

In reply to Yanis Nayu:

The IAAF seem to be making it up as they go along. Cock up or conspiracy?

In reply to The New NickB:

Cock up i imagine. Can't see why they'd want someone as high profile as him not competing.

In reply to Yanis Nayu:

If you were in to conspiracy theories, which I'm not really, you could argue that the IAAF want a new superstar to replace Bolt and their chosen man is Wade van Niekerk.

In reply to Yanis Nayu:

It smacks of beurocratic incompetence, but having now heard contradictory versions from both sides, someone is being economical with the truth as to exactly what happened when and who said what etc.

But whatever the outcome, the IAAF will not come out of it well, covering their arses from here on, I think.

In reply to Yanis Nayu:

Was it me who thought the BBC coverage was appalling, jumping on every available news story as it appeared, no structure and just guessing as to who said what. Reading emails out on air and questioning people makes the whole situation even worse.

Having said that In all of it I thought the Botswanan coach was very dignified.

In reply to JamButty:


I think that was very much, because of the nature in which information was released.


You mean he did not say anything? I wish Denise Lewis had adopted a similar position.

In reply to Yanis Nayu:

It is a highly contagious vomiting bug, he vomited so he got quarantined. The same pundits who are complaining about this would be complaining 10x as loud if it looked like other athletes had got infected because he wasn't quarantined.

In reply to tom_in_edinburgh:

It's not quite as simple as that. The athlete and his team are reporting very different events to the IAAF representatives, with much of the information coming out of the IAAF contradictory, like them initially claiming that he was examined with three members of the Botwanan delegation present, then after the Botwanans said that was not the case, saying that he was in fact examined alone.

In reply to tom_in_edinburgh:

He didn't get quarantined though. He was stopped from racing. They are two different things, and represent pretty much the worse of all worlds. If he had been actually quarantined outside of the race and then kept separate up to the start line it would make more sense.

What Gabby Logan read out from the IAAF implied that they were following UK law, which simply isn't true.

In reply to Yanis Nayu:

My understanding also, he was simply refused entry to the stadium and from competeing, apart from that he was left to get on with life. Go back to his hotel room or mix with any other athletes or public in the hotel, there were no movement restrictions or attempts at quarentine.

In reply to Yanis Nayu:

Of course the IAAF couldn't put him in quarantine- they don't have power to do that ! All they can do is deny him entry to the buildings under their control- suspend his accreditation- but they can't stop him walking the streets.

In reply to Chris the Tall:

The IAAF could have done a lot of things and done them in partnership and with the agreement of the Botswanan team. They didn't.

In reply to The New NickB:

The conspiracy thing was a joke, but this certainly stinks.

In reply to JamButty:
I found the manner with which the Public Health England representative was grilled last night was incredibly rude, asking the same question over and over, despite being given a good answer. Sensationalism at it's finest.

In reply to mrphilipoldham:

She wasn't a representative of Public Health England, she was a representative of the IAAF. Some of the questions where poor, particularly from Denise Lewis, but the answers to a number of questions contradicted statements made by the IAAF and a accounts given by the athlete and the Botswanan team management. It certainly highlighted serious shortcomings in the IAAF medical protocols, she was responsible for.

In reply to The New NickB:

Sorry, yes I realised after I'd posted! Don't know where I got that from.

In reply to Chris the Tall:


I know they don't, and nor does anyone else without a court order, despite the tone of the IAAF statement. Given that they did what they did to prevent spread among the athletes and staff, I think it could have been done while allowing him to compete. What they actually did achieved practically nothing except stopping him from competing.

I appreciate it's a difficult balance.

I also trust what the IAAF are saying he reported his symptoms as, and think they were sensible in presuming that norovirus is what he had.

In reply to The New NickB:

I think there is a distinction to be made, which I don't think she did make, regarding the fact that 48 hours clear of symptoms is the usual exclusion period from work, school or nursery for someone considered high risk i.e. child at nursery, someone incapable of maintaining personal hygiene, a food handler, care worker, medic etc.

The IAAF have taken these specific guidelines and used them in a specific case in a way that wasn't their original intended use (albeit with some logic), whilst effectively hiding behind them as if their hands were tied.

In reply to Yanis Nayu:

Apparently he is being allowed to run a solo heat tonight

Crisis management is always difficult, easy to criticize the IAAF for an over reaction or not communicating properly. Also easy to forget that this is an unprecedented situation and the main objective must be to prevent contagion.

In reply to Chris the Tall:

Which suggests that he hasn't got Norovirus, which piles more pressure on the IAAF and adds weight to the claims by Makwala and the Botswanan team that he was sick once, rather than on and off for 14 hours as reported by the IAAF.

In reply to Chris the Tall:

20.2 seconds, in the rain, on his own, with a super safe start. I think it is safe to say that he is fit.

In reply to The New NickB:

Indeed. He looked pretty comfortable doing that time in less than ideal conditions; not that far off the fastest qualifiers from yesterday.

In reply to Yanis Nayu:

and now to the final.....

In reply to JamButty:


Van Niekerk looks to be struggling, although it's far from a two horse race. Nothing against van Niekerk, but I'll certainly be hoping for a Makwala victory.

In reply to The New NickB:

Loved the press-ups he added just to drive his fitness message home.

Will certainly be tuning on for the final.

In reply to nathan79:

Having been there last night, I had no doubt in his fitness! You could feel his determination from the stands. A seriously cool moment.