Radcliffe Awarded Laureus Prize

Laureus World Sports Awards 2008
For immediate publication

(By way of e-mail, of which I am an accredited media member with the Laureus organisation)

PAULA RADCLIFFE RECEIVES LAUREUS AWARD AND HOPES FOR GOLDEN SUMMER IN BEIJING

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, March 3, 2008 – A delighted Paula Radcliffe interrupted her pre-Olympic altitude training in New Mexico to receive the 2008 Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award.

Britain’s legendary long distance runner, who had been unable to receive the Laureus Award earlier, said:

“I’m really thrilled to receive this Laureus Award and would like to say a big thank you to the members of the Laureus World Sports Academy. I’ve been nominated four times before, and that in itself has always been a special achievement and recognition for me. To finally win it this time really means a great deal – and I thank Laureus for that.

“Hopefully, with a little bit of luck – and a lot of hard work – I’ll be back next year, having achieved what I dream of in Beijing.

“I would also like to say a big thank you to the sport network that I have, mostly my husband Gary but also my family and friends who have made my achievements possible. I think to win a Laureus is an amazing recognition.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to make the ceremony in St Petersburg, and this has been the earliest opportunity I have had to receive the Award. I know there has been some comment on that, but my training schedule here in New Mexico has made things difficult, and this has been the first opportunity.”

Radcliffe, 34, made her comeback to racing in the autumn of 2007 after two years absence to give birth to her first child and to recover from a stress fracture of the lower back. She made her return at the Great North Run half-marathon in Newcastle, UK, in September where she finished second, then five weeks later she won the New York Marathon.

She said: “I think my achievement in New York was probably the key element in me being nominated. I had my daughter Isla in January 2007 then had a few hiccups returning to training, picked-up an injury, had to sit out the World Championships which was very frustrating, then came back to run in the Great North Run which was a stepping stone to New York.

“I wasn’t surprised to win in New York; I wouldn’t have gone to New York if I didn’t feel, from the training indications that I was in shape to win the race. I certainly knew I had a lot of pent-up emotion and determination from the difficulties I’d been through, and also a lot of happiness from the birth of my daughter which contributed to a positive performance.

“I think I surprised a few people who thought that after having a baby I couldn’t come back like that, but I myself never doubted it but neither did the people around me. The most important thing is that I did win and I am now able to build upon that for Beijing.”

The challenge for a gold medal at the Olympics in Beijing is now the paramount focus of Radcliffe’s year.

She said: “I think for any athlete the Olympics is the pinnacle – it’s that little bit more special. Winning a gold at the Olympics is that much better than winning a gold at the World Championships, which I have. I think for me also, having been to three Olympics, where I feel I’ve never been able to achieve my maximum potential, there is an added fire and momentum and, yes, added pressure to perform in Beijing. I also feel that having been through what I have been through in previous Olympics, I’ve already experienced the worst that can happen and I’ve come through and survived, so for me the pressure is less.

“I actually feel that that experience will make me stronger in Beijing. I think you can go into it with a little bit too much pressure on your shoulders. I think my previous experiences will help me treat it like another marathon. What I need to do is go there 100% healthy, 100% fit and then just give it the best shot on the day.

“It will be warm in Bejing, it will be humid – which I think will be a bigger factor, but in the past I have always raced well in hot and humid conditions. Obviously, times will be slower but it will be tougher for everybody, but in some ways that will be better for me because a tougher race means the tougher racers will come to the top.

“There will be strong opposition from the Chinese in their own country, from the Japanese who have a great record at Olympic games, from the Kenyan girls and Ethiopian girls. You can’t go in looking at one single person, but at a group of people from where the danger might come, but also be prepared for someone who comes in really good shape who you might not be expecting and be ready to handle that too,” said Radcliffe.

Laureus World Sports Academy Chairman Edwin Moses, a two-time Olympic champion at 400 metres hurdles, said:

"Paula is renowned as a great fighter. She is a runner I admire enormously for her determination and her commitment. When someone is out of running for two years when they are in their 30s you do wonder if they are going to be able to come back as fit and as strong, but Paula certainly showed she was when she won in New York. I wish her all the best for the Beijing Olympics."

The other nominees for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award were British 400 metres runner Christine Ohuruogu, Australian 400 metres hurdler Jana Rawlinson, US golfer Steve Stricker, England rugby player Jonny Wilkinson and the Gt.Britain Rugby League Team.

The Laureus World Sports Awards is the only global sports awards honouring the greatest sportsmen and women across all sports each year. The winners are selected by the ultimate sports jury - the 45 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, a collection of the world's greatest sportsmen and women. The living legends of sport honouring the great athletes of today.

The 2008 Awards were presented in seven categories.

The winners were:

• Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: Roger Federer
• Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year: Justine Henin
• Laureus World Team of the Year: South African Rugby Team
• Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year: Lewis Hamilton
• Laureus World Comeback of the Year: Paula Radcliffe
• Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Esther Vergeer
• Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Shaun White

There were three special Awards: The Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Ukraine pole vault legend Sergey Bubka, while Dick Pound, who retired after eight years as Chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency received the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award. American brothers Brendan and Sean Tuohey were the recipients of the Laureus Sport for Good Award for their work in founding the PeacePlayers International project.

The Patron of Laureus is Nelson Mandela.
At the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards in 2000, President Mandela said: "Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair." This has become the philosophy of Laureus; the driving force behind its work.

Laureus is a universal movement that celebrates the power of sport to bring people together as a force for good. Laureus is composed of three core elements - the Laureus World Sports Awards, the Laureus World Sports Academy and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation - which collectively celebrate sporting excellence and harness the power of sport to promote social change.

The Laureus World Sports Awards is the premier global sports awards honouring the greatest sportsmen and women across all sports each year. The winners are selected by the ultimate sports jury - the 45 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the living legends of sport honouring the great athletes of today. The Awards are presented at an annual Awards Ceremony, attended by global figures from sport and entertainment, which is broadcast to 180 countries each year.

There is a two-part voting process to find the winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards. Firstly, a Selection Panel of the world's leading sports editors, writers and broadcasters votes to create a shortlist of six nominations in five categories – Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year, Laureus World Team of the Year, Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year and Laureus World Comeback of the Year. The nominations for two additional categories - the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year and the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability are produced by Specialist Panels. The members of the Laureus World Sports Academy then vote by secret ballot to select the Award winners in all seven categories.

The members of the Laureus World Sports Academy are: Giacomo Agostini, Marcus Allen, Severiano Ballesteros, Franz Beckenbauer, Boris Becker, Ian Botham, Sergey Bubka, Bobby Charlton, Sebastian Coe, Nadia Comaneci, Yaping Deng, Marcel Desailly, Kapil Dev, David Douillet, Emerson Fittipaldi, Sean Fitzpatrick, Dawn Fraser, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Mika Hakkinen, Tony Hawk, Mike Horn, Miguel Indurain, Michael Johnson, Kip Keino, Franz Klammer, Dan Marino, John McEnroe, Edwin Moses (Chairman), Nawal El Moutawakel, Robby Naish, Ilie Nastase, Martina Navratilova, Alexei Nemov, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Morné du Plessis, Hugo Porta, Vivian Richards, Monica Seles, Mark Spitz, Daley Thompson, Alberto Tomba, Steve Waugh and Katarina Witt.

The Laureus Academy members volunteer their services as global ambassadors for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which was set up to promote the use of sport as a tool for social change. The Foundation addresses social challenges through a worldwide programme of sports related community development initiatives. Its work focuses on helping young people overcome poverty, homelessness, war, violence, drugs abuse, discrimination and AIDS. Since its inception over 150,000 underprivileged young people have been helped in over 50 projects around the world.

Laureus is supported by its Founding Patrons Richemont and Daimler represented by their brands IWC Schaffhausen and Mercedes-Benz

IWC Schaffhausen
For more than a century, IWC Schaffhausen has been producing precision products of complex functionality and outstanding user-friendliness for watch connoisseurs who expect more from their watch than just having an accurate timekeeper. Since its foundation in 1868, the International Watch Company has built up a reputation as a long-established Swiss watchmaking firm with a passion for inventions, innovative solutions and technical refinements. Today the brand is more successful than at any time in its history. IWC uses this strength in a programme of corporate social responsibility initiatives at home and abroad. In 2005, IWC entered into a long-term commitment to become a Founding Partner of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz, the world's oldest automaker, can look back on a unique tradition. The premium brand stands for modern, innovative automobiles, for quality, safety, comfort and design. Mercedes-Benz enjoys an excellent reputation, particularly in the area of safety technology. Many pioneering technical innovations that are standard automotive features today were first seen in a Mercedes-Benz car. The car with the star also has an excellent reputation with regard to quality, value for money and customer satisfaction. Mercedes-Benz is a Founding Partner of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. Since the beginning of the Foundations' operations in 2000, Mercedes-Benz has shared and supported the goals and values of this worldwide charity programme where sports play the core role in the fight against social issues - Laureus has become a vital element of the corporate social responsibility programme of Mercedes-Benz

Ohuruogu Set to Defend Before CAS

Story written by EPelle

Christine Ohuruogu, the 2006 Commonwealth 400 metres champion (50,28) and London 2012 Olympic hopeful, is facing high noon tomorow as she appeals the length of her drugs ban before the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday.

The one-day hearing will take place at a secret location in London, writes Sportinglife.com (source), and Ohuruogu will ask the CAS tribunal to overturn the one-year ban imposed for missing three out-of-competition doping tests in an 18-month period - an offense which violates IAAF Rule 32,2(d).

Ohuruogu, who was given a provisional ban by UK Athletics disciplinary board in August, faced a the independent hearing on Monday, 15-September-2006. The board, after hearing the case, insisted Ohuruogu had violated anti-doping by missing three out-of-competition (random) drug tests when she admitted to the wrong-doing, but they didn't believe she had done so intentionally, stating she "had no intention of infringing the anti-doping rules".

UK Athletics' chief executive David Moorcroft said following the hearing: "For any anti-doping rule violation, UK Athletics appoints an independent disciplinary committee to consider the facts of the case in the context of the rules of our sport.

"We operate within a very stringent regime and accept the decision the independent disciplinary committee has made."

Ohuruogu, a 22-year-old east Londoner who missed her first test on 12-October, 2005, is unlikely to hear the findings immediately.

"That is very unlikely. It normally takes two or three weeks, with members going away to consider the case in detail before making their decision," said Mattieu Reeb, secretary general of CAS.

Ohuruogu's lawyers are thought to be planning an assault against the IAAF rules, stating that the 12-month ban handed out under IAAF guidelines is too stringent.

Ohuruogu, whom Brits consider to be a genuine medal possibility for the 2012 Olympics in her home city, London, has insisted she will quit the sport if her appeal process is unsuccessful.

BBC quoted Ohuruogu as stating "I am utterly devastated and completely heartbroken by the decision to exclude me from competing," following the UK decision to ban her from one year. She is further quoted as stating she would then "be forced to rationally consider my athletics future in light of today's decision" (link).

According to press reports, four British sportsmen and women who also committed the offence - including world triathlon champion Tim Don, and only received three-month punishments.

Paula Radcliffe, one of the world's leading outspoken anti-doping campaigners, believes because of the disparity, Ohuruogu was harshly punished.

Radcliffe said: "If Christine lived in any other country, she would not be serving a 12-month ban and that is not fair.

"I think it is good that the rules are strictly applied in Britain but it cannot be different in other countries.

"I don't think for one minute she is guilty of doping."

Though Ohuruogu has athletes and fan support on her side, UK Sport Director of drug-free sport, John Scott, staunchly defended the punishment handed out to Ohuruogu in September.

"The sanction is in line with that set out within the IAAF's rules and reflects the seriousness of the offense," he told BBC.

Meanwhile, Steve Backley, the four-time European Championships javelin gold medalist (1990-2002), believes the misshap is circumstantial - the result of an administrative mishap.

BBC quotes him as stating, "I know from first-hand experience it is tough to know exactly where you are going to be at every point of every day.

"I don't think for one second Christine Ohuruogu has tried to gain an unfair advantage or tried to avoid testing by any means.

"I think she has just been busy preparing for these championships and possibly not been where she thought was going to be on a daily basis.

"If that is the case and there is talk of her possibly missing the Olympics in the future, that is an absolute tragedy for Christine."

Ohuruogu is not the only athlete who has been in the spotlight regarding missing tests.

UK Athletics performance director Dave Colins stated on 8-August-2006 that Britons missed 70 tests in a span of 18 months.

"They are very aware of the seriousness of the situation and we are working with them," he stated on Radio Four's Today programme (link).

Asked if the four were high-profile athletes, Collins replied, "varying".

One such elite person on the bubble is Becky Lyne, Briton's top 800m runner, who has missed two tests, and in danger of being suspended if she misses a third.

Lyne, the European 800 metres bronze medallist (1.58,45) here in Göteborg, has missed two out-of-competition drug tests, leaving her just one missed test away from a one-year ban - and, possibly even missing out on the Olympic Games in 2012.

"It's true that I've missed two tests and I'm very ashamed of the fact that I'm in this tricky situation," Lyne admitted to the Telegraph.

"I know the tests have to be carried out in order to catch the cheats but I don't want to be branded a cheat for having missed two tests. Basically, now that I'm on two missed tests, I am extra, extra cautious not to miss any more."

"Now I have reminders everywhere and I have several people who I have asked to keep on reminding me," she said.

"The problem is that it's been very difficult for me to get into a routine this year. I recently moved house and even this week I've been staying at two different addresses.

"In the case of Christine and now Tim Don, it's really awful for them to be associated with a doping offence when I actually believe that they are innocent. It is very easy to miss a test but, at the same time, athletes have got to take responsibility."

British athletes are not the only ones who fear the out-of-competition testing system.

Carolina Klüft stated to Expressen newspaper that she's terrified (almost literally) of forgetting where she should be on a given day, as she has to provide written accounts three months ahead of time of where she will be 24/7.

Klüft stated she is very spontaneous, and this testing system denies her that spontaneity (like going to IKEA or her parents house just because she feels like it). She's had luck, she states, as she has a few times come upon it at the last minute that she was due at a location she stated three months ahead of time.

Klüft stated (in half jest) that one should implant in her a GPS chip so that they know where she is at.

Our testers seem to be a bit more lenient on the athletes here - an impression you may get from reading this article, where testers state that, for example, if an athlete (Klüft) was not at one locale, they would head to her home and wait. And wait. And wait. Finally, should she (or anyone else) continue to be unreachable, they would be forced to provide the athletics federation here an explanation, which must then be approved.

Our drug testers, as likely is the case with the UK testers, believe the athletes think this is a good process which works well for the athletes, whereas Klüft is absolutely petrified of being away for an unannounced one.

Ohuruogu has ample time to prepare for the 2007 IAAF World Championships if her CAS appeal is successful. The world championships begin in August in Osaka.

A CAS decision in her favour would almost certainly assist her in overturning a British Olympic Association ruling banning drug offenders from competing at future Olympic Games - a championship setting which will forever be devoid of British sprinter Dwain Chambers, as he is serving a lifetime ban from Olympic Games by UK Sport for his involvement with BALCO and performance-enhancing drugs abuse.

IAAF Seven-step process when unable to successfully test an athlete (link):

• Step 1: The Doping Control Officer has made reasonable attempts to conduct a test on the athlete in accordance with the IAAF DCO Out-of-Competition Testing Policy but has been unable to do so and files an Unsuccessful Attempt Form with the IAAF.


• Step 2: Upon receipt of the Unsuccessful Attempt Form, the IAAF verifies that the DCO has acted in accordance with the DCO Out-of-Competition Testing Policy in seeking to locate the athlete.


• Step 3: If the IAAF is satisfied that the DCO has acted in accordance with the DCO Out-of-Competition Testing Policy and that there are grounds for a missed test, the IAAF Anti-Doping Administrator initiates a missed test evaluation.


• Step 4: The Anti-Doping Administrator notifies the athlete of the evaluation and invites the athlete to provide an explanation for the unsuccessful test attempt within 10 days.


• Step 5: The Anti-Doping Administrator reviews the athlete’s explanation and all other relevant documents in the file before deciding whether to declare a missed test.


• Step 6: The athlete is notified in writing of the Anti-Doping Administrator’s decision.


• Step 7: Upon notification of a missed test, the athlete has 21 days to notify the IAAF in writing that he/she intends to appeal the missed test at any future hearing for an anti-doping rule violation for 3 missed tests in accordance with IAAF Rule 32.2(d).

Linford Christie Plans on Helping Jamaicans

Story written by EPelle

Former Olympic medalist Linford Christie, who in September was controversially given a major role as a technical coach by UK Athletics Performance Director Dave Collins to help British sprinters prepare for the 2012 London Olympics, spent his Christmas holiday in Jamaica preparing plans to help Jamaican athletes fulfill their potential.

Christie, vacationing in Jamaica - the Carribean island which was his home until he turned 14-years-old, is not currently coaching any high-profile athletes.

"Linford's future is working with people," today's Guardian quotes his coach Ron Roddan as stating. "He likes working with people, he likes talking with people, he likes teaching people and likes athletics, and he will do well in whatever he likes."

Christie, who has a passion for helping people, was caught in a drugs scandal in 1999 when he tested positive for nandrolone when he was semi-retired. He stated he had sought to be a coach on the 2012 team, but was passed over by Sebastian Coe - with whom he has been known to have been engaged in a war of words since 2001.

Collins appointed Christie to one of two available poss to mentor athletes heading up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, something which touched off a row between other athletes and fans, including Paula Radcliffe.

"We were aware that Linford is a name and a character which arouses strong emotions in people, in both directions," Collins stated on 8-September.

"Frankly though what we've done is to take the opportunity of looking at appointing two mentors and two technical coaches."

Daley Thompson and Katharine Merry were named for mentoring roles for junior athletes. Steve Backley received the other coaching appointment.

"Linford is there in a technical coaching role, extending the very good work he has been doing since before the Sydney Olympics.

"What we have done is use money from sponsors to extend (Christie's) role to be able to make greater use of his expertise in coaching."

The Athlete-as-mentor discussion has been a hot topic of late, with yours truly having also weighed in on the subject ("Are Atheltes Role Models?"). The Telegraph published a story on 8-August covering the apparent Christie appointment, going so far as to state that UK Athletics had become a laughing stock around the world.

"The IAAF ban led the British Olympic Association to decree that Christie would never be allowed team accreditation for any future Olympic Games. The BOA yesterday confirmed that their sanction would remain in place.

"UK Athletics, who claim to promote a strong anti-doping policy, are now set to become a laughing stock around the world."

Professor Peter Radford, the former world record holder for 200m and the British Athletic Federation's chief executive until 1997, condemned the appointment, quoted by the Telegraph as stating: "I am amazed that UK Athletics would take such a decision at this time. They are not the right messages and do not give the outside world any increased confidence that athletics is getting its act together.''

I am of the opinion that if an athlete - or a coach - has been involved in a wrongdoing, has learned a lesson from it, and can offer expertise without running afoul of the rules, they should be considered for such posts as Christie's.

Norwich Union pledged £50 million in sponsorship money to the sport through to the London Olympics in 2012, and has not requested where their funds be applied in terms of the Christie case.

It seems to be a bit of tomfoolery to keep out a person whose coaching passions help enable athletes rather than turn upside down the fairness of sport and competition.

Jamaican news reports have not yet surfaced concerning the possibility of Christie coaching its youth.

Christie, who was born in St. Andrew - a northern Kingston suburb of more than 500.000 inhabitants, is excited about the chance to lend a helping hand to athletes walking in Asafa Powell's footsteps.

"It would be nice to be able to play a part from overseas," states the Guardian.

"When I come back next time, or in the near future, I will see if I can be able to watch some of the youngsters. I am now trying to help others to achieve their goals and this could be seen as repaying for some of what you have achieved. They say the best thing to do is doing it yourself and the second best is showing someone else how to do it, and that's what I am hoping to do."

Jamaica has always produced talented sprinters - including world-record holder Powell, but many of their best crop of sprinters often move to the United States to find suitable coaching opportunities.

Keeping touch with elite athletes who have the technical experience to provide excellent instruction and training may help the future elite athletes Jamaica may produce remain loyal to their roots, and provide excellent diversification of the knowledge base those coaches bring.

Linford Christie - an Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European 100m gold-medal winner - may have a word or two of encouragement to offer.

Further Reading:

• Linford Christie: Polishing his pride
• Christie offers to give Jamaica's rising sprinters helping hand
• Collins denies Christie mentor role
• Malcolm puts faith in Christie Factor (2007-01-16)

Linford Christie's IAAF Profile here

Mathematics Gone Wild

Story written by EPelle

Man must be smarter than a computer. God help us if he's not.

Scientific "studies" - many of which have been no more than a waste of time - have been abundant on what the capacities man can expect to reach in athletics.

Today, a new predictive analysis was introduced to the world, and Paula Radcliffe ought to beware.

Dutchman John Einmahl, a mathematecian and professor at Tilberg University in Germany, predicted that Radcliffe can expect to have her world record ultimately lowered by eight minutes 50 seconds in the future, though no date was provided as to when the miraculous breakthrough could occur.

"For a lot of athletes it is probably depressing when they are confronted with our extreme values," Professor Einmahl is quoted as stating. "But this is a very serious study -- the extreme theory as a part of mathematics and statistics is an accepted science."

The men, on the other hand, stand to stagnate within the near future, as Paul Tergat's 2003 marathon world record time of 2.04.55 - set in Berlin - should ultimately only be lowered by 49 more seconds. Haile Gebrselassie, who has made public his attempt to win the Beijing Marathon and set the world record within the next two years, may be the last person alive to ever etch his name into history.

Right.

Asafa Powell, meanwhile, stands to be followed by a long list of suitors or one incredibly wild freak of nature insofar as his world record - shared by a steroid-aided Justin Gatlin - should be lowered from 9,77 to 9,29.

Canadian Ben Johnson once stated that no human being could ever legally run 9,79-seconds for the 100m dash. His prediction is nearly true as the first under 9,80, Tim Montgomery, was found to be a drugs cheat, and his performances have been erased. Gatlin, the current co-world record-holder, has tested positive for steroids. That leaves Powell in rarified air.

Powell is a terrific specimen of an athlete, and runs smoother and easier than any current straight-dash sprinter on the circuit, but he will never run under 9,70 - even with a maximum allowable wind (+2,0 m/s).

Professor Einmahl computed - by studying world records in 14 disciplines and feeding the best marks of 1.546 male and 1.024 female athletes into a computer - that Michael Johnson's 200m world record - 19,32 - could lower to 18,63.

Nike athlete Xavier Carter, who ran the second-fastest 200m ever in this, his inagural season at the professional level, 19,63, has only one full second left to tick off before this prediction comes true. Fascinating stuff.

The professor apparently acknowledged that there is room for extraordinary performances that will turn his results upside down, so Geb may yet have hope to extend beyond 2.04.06. Mr. Einmahl said his field doesn't recognize the impossible, but accepts the unbelievable.

"Who would have thought Bob Beamon would jump 8.90 meters on Oct. 18, 1968?" he said.

What the good professor fails to state is that the mark came at a humid location at altitude - an aide which Track & Fields News differentiates when denoting records.

The Associated Press author was practical enough to state that Beamon's record was not touched for another 23 years. No athlete, including Beamon, himself, ever got within the same time zone as Beamon's 1968 Olympic Games mark set in Mexico City.

Mathematics and statistics can be a great deal of fun to twist and turn to see what athletes are capable of, but, without any brainwork being applied to the answers computed by the machines, one will wait an entire lifetime hoping a woman will run her first 10km of a marathon in just over 30.00, repeat this four more times, and then have enough energy left to run 2,2km more at that pace. Better yet, the lucky female capable of this feat will need to run 105 times around the track in 71,96 seconds/lap without stopping.

Jesus Dapena, an Indiana University biomechanics professor, said in June that there must be a limit to how fast man can run. He stated that a man will never run 100 meters in three seconds, for instance, but that limit can't be defined. Mr. Einmahl basis his assumptions on a predictive model a computer has generated.

Mr. Einmahl's facts and figures have been stated to have been included to study extreme stock market prices as well as the required height needed in dams to control huge floods, and he's said to have performed a study funded by the insurance field over the highest possible damage claims possible to file.

Stock markets may use his numbers as a boundary marker, and insurance carriers may touch base with him for redline values, but his analysis of athletics performances fails the grade in the human capacity course.

If - and when - you ever witness a female athlete who runs 20km in one hour, and says she can continue for another at the same pace, check to see that she is not hallucinating. If she insists, and is able to stay the course, you'll have to do the honarary thing and for EPO and other performance-enhancing drugs - including gene doping.

Alas, if she succeeds and, indeed, makes it to the finish line under 2.07.00, feel free to drop me a line. I'll be first in line at the Guiness Book of World's Records eating my shorts.

Further reading:

• Study in full