Sports Asked on July 15, 2021
While real starting pistols are no longer used in track and field events, the electronic pistols used now still have a certain degree of uncertainty as runners cannot be fully sure when it would actually fire. This leaves some things to chance as runners who successfully gamble on starting before hearing the sound get a small advantage initially.
So why not solve the issue completely by making the starting sound 100% predictable? Events could use a system similar to motor sports where a set of three lights in fixed intervals indicate when the race begins. This would make it possible for athletes to reliably predict when to push off and leave absolutely nothing to chance.
IAAF rule 162.2 ("The start") says:
All races shall normally be started by the report of the Starter’s gun held upwards.
and 162.6 ("False start") specifies that:
An athlete, after assuming a full and final starting position, shall not commence his start until after receiving the report of the gun.
Your question, I think, proposes changing this rule, and you're looking for arguments against. The IAAF rules don't offer justifications, so it's difficult to argue from grounds more specific than "but that's the rules", but here are two reasons a mechanical system would not work:
Answered by pjmorse on July 15, 2021
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