Message text written by INTERNET:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Though the rules seem to apply only to lapped runners providing pacing
assistance (Bob Hersh?), I feel that El Guerrouj and Kaouch should have
been
disqualified for violating the spirit of "fair play", especially since
officials were aware of what happened in 1999. You know the old saying,
"Fool
me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me". The IAAF should be
embarrassed by what happened and should send out a warning that any further
occurrences will be dealt with harshly.<
By this reasoning, the winner should be DQ'ed in the 1500 at every GP meet
where there's a rabbit (which means at just about every GP meet). IAAF
rules, after all, apply to all international competition, not just the
World Championships. But people don't get DQ'ed because pacing by a rabbit
is permitted by the rules. Looking beyond the letter of the rules, I
suspect I'm not alone in thinking that El G did not violate the spirit of
fair play and did nothing that should have resulted in a disqualification.
Bob H
