The cruelest rule in sports: Track and field’s zero-tolerance false start policy

Usain Bolt seethes after a false start at the World Championships last year (Getty Images)

Only one outcome to his first Olympics would devastate U.S. sprinter Ryan Bailey more than not running fast enough to make the finals in the 100 meters or suffering an injury mid-race.
Anything would be better than a false start.

A late bloomer who didn't set foot on a track until his sophomore year of high school and focused more on football than sprinting until late in his senior year, Bailey has worked relentlessly ever since to harness his raw talent. The 23-year-old Oregon native can hardly bear to consider how frustrating it would be to have all those hours of conditioning, weightlifting and speed drills go for naught because of an ill-timed flinch in the starting blocks.
"That's the worst-case scenario," Bailey said. "I even feel like a false start is worse than getting hurt because you don't get a chance to run. To be automatically out before you take one step, that's the worst possible feeling."
Fear of false starting is more prevalent among sprinters and hurdlers at this year's Olympics than any in the past because of a controversial rule change put into effect two years ago. Instead of charging a first false start to the field with the second disqualifying the offending runner, the new rule ousts athletes the first time they false start.
That zero-tolerance policy is as cruel and unforgiving as any rule in sports, more sudden than a sixth foul in the NBA Finals, more damaging than a red card at the World Cup and more common than an unsigned scorecard at one of golf's majors. It has induced tantrums from otherwise mature adults and waylaid some of the legends of the sport.
At the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea last August, 100 meters world record holder Usain Bolt pulled his shirt over his face and slapped a wall in anguish after leaving the blocks early in the finals of his signature race. Only one day earlier, meet officials had to escort a shell-shocked Christine Ohuruogu off the track in shock after the 2008 Olympic 400 meters champ lost focus and false started in a preliminary round.
[ Related: Michael Johnson's golden runs in 1996 live on in Olympic history ]
Those mishaps and a handful of lower-profile disqualifications have some in track and field circles worried fans will be deprived of the chance to see some of the sport's greatest stars run in London. Four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson told the Daily Mirror this past weekend that "he's absolutely concerned that we could lose a Bolt." Kellie Wells, a contender in the women's 100-meter hurdles, echoed those sentiments earlier this week.
"With the crowd noise at big meets when there are marquee athletes on the track, it's very, very possible somebody gets disqualified," she said. "I just pray, knock on wood, that it's not me and has nothing to do with my race."
What led international track and field's governing body to alter the false-start rule was the desire to streamline the sport and eliminate gamesmanship.
Christine Ohuruogu holds her face in her hands after a false start at the World Championships (Getty Images)Under the old rules, sprinters or hurdlers notorious for slow reaction times would attempt to gain an edge by guessing when the starting pistol would fire, knowing the penalty would be charged to the field rather than to themselves. The multiple false starts slowed down meets and made it difficult for TV networks working within a specific timeslot.
In their zeal to make the sport more TV friendly, IAAF officials failed to consider the consequences of their ham-handed rule change. TV executives would rather telecasts exceed a time limit by a couple minutes than deprive viewers of the chance to see some of the sport's main attractions race.
"The sport suffers when Christine Ohuruogu and Usain Bolt get thrown out of Worlds," four-time Olympic medalist and NBC track and field analyst Ato Boldon said. "They changed the rule saying they were trying to save time on television, but that did not work. That has not been the case. The reason the rule hasn't been changed back is you have an organization that's trying to save face."
Since the IAAF ignored the global outcry after Bolt's disqualification last August, sprinters and hurdlers harboring dreams of an Olympic medal in 2012 have tried to adjust to the new rules. Most have said they they'll be more cautious than usual in preliminary rounds and they will simply react to the gun in the final rather than risk trying to guess when the starter's pistol will go off.
Tianna Madison, one of the U.S. sprinters trying to dethrone the Jamaicans in the women's 100 meters, spends two or three practice sessions a week perfecting her reaction time and acceleration out of the blocks. Coach Raina Reider hasn't discussed a strategy with Madison because she has yet to false start this year, but he expects her and her peers instinctually to be a bit timid, especially since the computerized starting blocks at the Olympics are designed to catch every twitch.
[ Related: Double amputee Oscar Pistorius will run in the Olympics ]
"I think the reaction times are going to be bad," Reider said. "I think people are going to be a lot more cautious. I don't foresee anyone making the same mistake Bolt did last year. The fan is going to suffer because sprinters aren't going to run as fast. Slower reaction times will be the norm."
At an Olympics in which rain, wind and chilly temperatures could already be detrimental to fast times, the last thing sprinters and hurdlers need is another impediment. That's why it's disappointing to athletes like Bailey that Bolt's disqualification wasn't enough to force the rule to be changed back.
An underdog in a field that includes Bolt, Yohan Blake, Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin, Bailey knows he won't be able to overcome a sluggish start in a race that lasts less than 10 seconds. He intends to react out of the blocks the way he always does and hope it works to his advantage.
"People are going to be starting really timid," Bailey said. "They're not going to risk it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance for a lot of people. It only comes around every four years. If you false start this, it's going to haunt you for a while."

THE NEGLECTED VERANDAS

In the recent past we have witness fight between city askari,police and the hawkers in the capitals verandas.Some have fall prey of smelling nostrils cracking scent of teargas and ran all over,i too was not spared and that what directed me to the street and know the plight of the street vendors.
A preview about the market Muthurwa market was set up by the government in 2007 in a bid to provide hawkers in Nairobi with a more permanent selling space.The downside is that hawkers go where the market goes,and many buyer who give life to the street hawkers will not go to the market.The market has been branded the "monument of poor workmanship.The artitectual Association of Kenya said the market was poorly designed and many aspects overlooked

The complex has degenerated into a den of muggers where hawkers and matatu operators jostle for space

Most hawkers are afraid to speak  about their misery of being shot at while breaking city by-laws,police brutally leaves many city hawkers suffering in silence.Chilling details of police endanger the lives of Nairobi residents by shooting indiscriminately as they kick hawkers off the streets can be laid bare today.

Several hawkers have come out to display bullet wounds sustained during the shooting mostly during evening busy hours,when streets are jam packed as people walk to bus stop heading home.In May 2009,a stray bullet killed a civil servant and businessman was seriously injured as police confront hawkers in the heart of Nairobi.Deputy police spokesman Charles owino defended the use of arms saying hawkers use excessive force against police,however Kenya National Commission on Human Right(KNCHR)argues that while police are allowed to use firearms where there's a threat of life,the protests by hawkers don't fit in this category.
 The former chairman KNCHR Mr Omar and deputy spokesman Charles Owino said the public would soon have a credible forum to complain about police brutality once the Independent police oversight Authority is set up.

Stephen Waweru,the chairman of Central Business District Hawkers Association and also a hawker however maintain police are culpable claiming they are mistreated as some council askaris try to ward off competition for their wares,which are placed in strategic points.'Some asks have employed hawkers who sell their goods as certain streets without been touched.Why are they treating us like armed thugs yet we are just looking for daily bread?'Mr waweru said.He claims that due to involvement in the fight for the right of his members,some unknown people have threaten him with death and his case is being handled by the Release Political Prisoners Human Right Lobby Group.

Solution on this matter according to a new study is calling an the government to allocate space for the street vendors and stop treating them as outcasts.The study Negotiating"streets for all"in urban transport planning:The case for pedestrians,cyclists and streets vendors in Nairobi,Kenya,fault policy makers in Nairobi for neglecting these groups in policies.Neglecting of pedestrian,cyclists and street vendors in transport planning in different parts of the world reveals the persistence of inequality in the development and provision of trade and transport space that urgently needs to be examined and challenged as part of an effort to promote equality in urban and transport planning

EXPONENTIAL POTENTIAL

• Youngest member in Team Kenya to join champions Helen Obiri and Eunice Sum in 1,500-metre race at the Olympics

A hat trick of athletics world titles besides an Africa crown has just heightened 18-year-old Faith Chepng’etich’s thirst for Olympic glory.

Likening the forthcoming London Summer Games to the proverbial David versus Goliath battle, the new World Junior 1,500-metre champion believes she is mature and ready for the big league.

Still basking in the 2011 World Cross Country junior and 2010 World Youth 1,500-metre glory, Chepng’etich couldn’t have chosen a better place to announce her intentions than at the just ended World Junior Championships in Barcelona, Spain.

Form Four student

The 18-year-old form four student at Winners Girls High School in Keringet warmed up for the Olympic Games with a dominant 1,500m victory, erasing a decade standing championship record with new time of 4:04:96 seconds.

Chinese Liu Dong held the previous time of 4:05.14 set on September 20, 1992 in Seoul, Korea.

Chepng’etich, who is the youngest member in Team Kenya, will join the World Indoor 3,000-metre champion Helen Obiri and Africa 1,500-metre silver medallist Eunice Sum in 1,500m at the Olympics.

“I’m now used to competing at high level with senior athletes; its time to join the big league. I know London won’t be a piece of cake, but I shall go there well prepared and ready to out-muscle the big girls,” said Chepng’etich on arrival from Barcelona on Tuesday.

“My trip to London will just be like when a fearless David descended to the Valley of Elah to face Goliath,” Chepng’etich said.

“Just like David, fear has never been in my running vocabulary. I intend to battle to the final.”

Just how Chepng’etich managed to manoeuvre both competitive athletics and school is something many athletes would envy.

Chepng’etich has always brought along books at major championships.

“My teachers have been supportive as they give me some work which I get to do when I am off training,” Chepng’etich said.

“Studying in between races has really helped me wade off any distractions.”

Chepng’etich carried her mathematics books along with several assignments to Barcelona.

“I had several assignments, which I managed to do when I wasn’t training,” said the soft-spoken Chepng’etich. “By the way, mathematics is my favourite subject.”

Her parents Samuel and Linah Koech, who were at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to welcome their daughter, expressed their gratitude to Winners High School management for their support.

Winners High School principal Maryline Lasoi was also at the airport to welcome Chepng’etich and classmate Mercy Chebwogen, who also won the 3,000m title at the WJC.

“I am so happy and proud of them since they just brought home what I asked of them,” Ms Lasoi said. “I believe Chepng’etich will perform well in London.”

Ms Lasoi added: “What amazes me most is that Chepng’etich has remained humble and disciplined in class despite all the accolades.”

Chepng’etich’s journey to stardom perhaps started when she qualified to represent Kenya at the 2009 World Cross Country in Amman, Jordan. However, Chepng’etich, was dropped from the team because of her tender age at that time — 15.

She finally made it for the 2010 World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland where she finished fourth behind winner Mercy Cherono, Purity Cherotich and Esther Chemtai.

Winners High School principal Maryline Lasoi was also at the airport to welcome Chepng’etich and classmate Mercy Chebwogen, who also won the 3,000m title at the WJC.

“I am so happy and proud of them since they just brought home what I asked of them,” Ms Lasoi said. “I believe Chepng’etich will perform well in London.”

Ms Lasoi added: “What amazes me most is that Chepng’etich has remained humble and disciplined in class despite all the accolades.”

Chepng’etich’s journey to stardom perhaps started when she qualified to represent Kenya at the 2009 World Cross Country in Amman, Jordan. However, Chepng’etich, was dropped from the team because of her tender age at that time — 15.

She finally made it for the 2010 World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland where she finished fourth behind winner Mercy Cherono, Purity Cherotich and Esther Chemta

QUIT SMOKING FOR BABY'S LOVE.

In the past one month and two weeks or so have been going out and noticed thing that perplexed me and left me thinking how much we love our bodies?In many occasion i notice and realised the number in ratio of 3:1 ladies to men respectively the rate at which ladies are smoking and drinking is alarmingly raising at a usain bolt rate.Ladies have become hard quenchers and what happen to the days ladies loved soft drinks?Lets talk about that another day and talk about smoking in ladies.

The chemicals in cigarettes can affect your child before birth,and could even cause life-long problems.Many women of the reproductive age have taken up smoking as a regular habit.Many of these women are also trying to conceive and actually getting pregnant.The risk of cigarette smoking are well known ,they include heart disease,lung problems ranging from chronic cough to lung cancer,as well as wrinkled skin and bad breath.Smoking increase the rate of infertility in both men and women,and also increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy.
Cigarettes smoke has many chemical which affect the baby in many ways.Smoking in pregnancy exposes the baby to carbon monoxide,which limits the supply of oxygen and nutrients.This leads to low birth weight babies.Exposure to nicotine cause,and reduces the baby's breathing movements.
Other problems linked with smoking in pregnancy include       

• vaginal breeding
• Problems with placenta,including premature placental separation(placenta abruptio)
• premature labour
• premature rapture of membranes
• birth defects and recurrent miscarriages 

 Smoking during pregnancy can also affect the baby after birth,increasing the risk of sudden infant death,asthma.Research also show that smoking in pregnancy might affect the child's emotional development,behaviour,and ability to learn.It might even impair the child own fertility later on in life.
 Breathing second-hand smoking also affects the unborn child in much the same way as actual smoking.Reduced cigarette smoking reduces the risk factors and improves the overall heath of the mother and the baby.Quitting completely is the best chance at normal healthy life.The safe way to quit smoking is without medication.Cigarette smoking is the worst of addictions,so quiting is never easy;it requires motivation and determination greatest motivation should be that its good for you and the baby strategies that might work include.counselling from your doctor,setting small but manageable goals,throwing out all cigarette paraphernalia,avoid places or situation that prompt you to smoke and reward yourself when your small gaols are met
Quitting smoking can be difficult for some patients the use of nicotine replacement products can be very helpful.These are better than cigarette smoke,which has many other chemicals in addition to the nicotine.These products are available across the counter,but medical supervision is necessary.

Adjusting to a newborn can be very stressful and relapses are therefore common.the patient needs to be aware of this risk,so that she can work extra hard to avoid going back to smokingsocial  support is the key,remember that exposing to the newborn to cigarette smoke can have many harmful effects.
The chemicals in the breast milk cause your baby more long term problem.Smoking also reduces the amount of breast milk over time,which is not beneficial to the baby

The key principle,which is not difficult is to never to start smoking.If you are already pregnant,keep reducing the number of sticks you smoke,so that you completely quit by the time the baby is born......GOOD LUCK!!!

The stone truth about love

During the weekend i found and realized that women must stop buying the hype that Nollywood,Hollywood and mexican telenovelas sell them about love and romance.
The sane women,have found themselves spending money unnecessarily to get the next copy of the sequel in the series,even as they tally all those legions of women who ,day in day out search for their next love opium via movies or telenovelas.

All the fairytale whether5 set in print or Polaroid,share one thing in common:The prominence that give to the words ' i love you' and to the drama that their announcements herald,as soon as these words are uttered nirvana and heaven are attained instantly.Today,many men have cottoned the wondrous power of those  three words,some guys like to use them with impunity on any women who tickle their fancy.What they forget is that in real life,as opposed to movies,there must be some method to the madness of love
On my POV(point of view),there is nothing like a instant love or love-at-no-sight or at-first-sight.Is propaganda created to sustain movie and music industry,all of us have been duped into believing that instant love exists and we have to do is wait to be stung by the love bug.Yes,there can be intense liking at first sight or a drop of the liking as with online dating but never can there be full blown love at first.Fancying the curvature of a girl at fight sight or drooling over a man's baritone on first hearing is not love at first sight maybe lust,we tend to confuse one with the other,often with major consequences the simple facts is that real love is like a seed that must be allowed to grow  until is either mature or dies.

Some men see these words as the magic key that unlocks hearts and bodies so they can use with relish.the most unfortunate bit is that millions of women will throw away their common sense,their wallets and their panties all at the sound of ' i love you'.
In my close friend Anita view is that love needs 90 days gestation period,at least with full disclosure and openness for it to translate into anything meaningful and she does not understand why women (including herself)believe that a man can fall in love with them on a day without even discovering how they look with artificial hair,make up layers and how they fall for a man without gauging his generosity meter,his wallet elasticity and how many female heart he has smashed.How does one fall in love without conducting a vetting audit of either party's love history.The most annoying thing about these words love is that thet mean different thing to different people,some men usually mean what they say,however the many other like to use them to resolve difficult conflicts to quiet emotional demands.
Men know that women are hopelessly romantic and all it takes to unlock their  emotional safes is in the i-love-you combination.But men need to realize that once those words are out your mouth then they expect a lot follow.For many women,'i love you' means that you are ready to commit your time,your resource and even your life with them.
If a man has no intention of committing any of the above to them,then he must not use those words without any tangible action then he is just using you and not loving you.And caution to all parties who say 'i love you' while under the influence or while in the middle of certain activities that have been known to cause temporary loss of sanity and logical thinking
So for love to be credible,it  must be confessed in a sober space.The sooner we stop believing the love gospel according to soppy novels and mushy movies,the better for all of us.Love is not like instant coffee,its  more like a slow baking cake that could either rise o fall from much heart or from being in the wrong oven 

PUT IT ON!

Shock in Moi University as a first year girl (fresher) infects 90 students with HIV in 50 days

With the recent reports of campus girls caught with MPs and holding private parties with wenye nchi, it goes without saying that university girls from local public universities have nothing to look up to.

Rumor has it that a first year student at Moi University has broken the record by sleeping with 90 university students in a clean 50 days; Guinness World Book of records should award her ama?
The lady who is alleged to have slept with the men has released a list and announced to her victims that they are now infected with HIV and an STI.

Recently another list was released by another lady from the same campus who claimed to have slept with 132 students and infected them with HIV.

Question is, are these chics total knock outs that men in the campus cant contain themselves or is sex just like food for the soul in this campus?

The men are now having sleepless nights as the student claimed to have even made them aware of her status but they took it for a joke and went on sleeping with her without rubber.
Word has it that she does NOT even regret what she has done; she says you can’t cry over spilt milk, either way what’s done is done!

Some of the students said that all that was just a rumor and an initiative by the school administration to stop students from illicit affairs.

Unnecessary Noise

DISCLAIMER: This post should NOT be used to attack a community or vernacular music. NOT all vernacular music is bad. NOT all members of any given community are chauvinistic and archaic in their thinking.  Any comments that are even remotely inflammatory will be deleted. Kenya is bigger than all of us!
I listen to Kikuyu music, both secular and gospel. A lot of Kikuyu music is very informative and the beat is quite catchy.
Current song I am jamming to is Agiginyani by Shiru wa GP. An awesome keep-your-head-up gospel song.
My attention has been drawn to an emerging genre of Kikuyu music  that is inflammatory, provocative and in very bad taste. In a country that is yet to heal after the post-election violence, these songs are a harbinger of bad tidings.
I shall not sit back and watch my country burn. This post is blowing the whistle. I do not know the extent of the fire that these songs have caused. What I know is the Demathew, Kamande and Muigai are some of the most popular Kikuyu musicians with mega sales of their VCDs. Thus I shudder to imagine the number of households that are playing these songs.
For the many who cannot hear Kikuyu, I have translated snippets of the songs and in Demathew’s case explained the nuances as he sings in parables. You can ask your Kikuyu friends to translate further.
Uhuru ni Witu (Uhuru is Ours) – Kamande wa Kioi
Translated snippets:
Greetings people of the house of Gikuyu and Mumbi. I bring you a message from all Kikuyu musicians. This is a message from God. Uhuru is the Moses of the Kikuyu nation. He is meant to move Kikuyus from Egypt to Canaan. Do not agree to be divided. Let all votes go to him. He is ours. He is anointed by God, poured oil on.
Raila, there is a call. Go to Mama Ngina’s house, a king has been born there. Once there ask where Uhuru is seated and pour oil on him. Just like Samuel did for David in the Bible. Stop chasing the wind Agwambo, go to Icaweri and anoint Uhuru.
You thump your chest about Hague, is Hague your mother’s? There is a curse from God. Philistines who do not circumcise cannot lead Israel. When Abraham stressed God, he was told to go get cut, even you General of Migingo, your knife is being sharpened.

Hague Bound – Muigai Wa Njoroge and Muhiko
Translated snippets:
Question: If it was you who is being pushed to The Hague what would you do?
Answer: I would call my family and divide up my property and then ask my mother to pray for me.
Question: What if you knew that Hague you are being pushed there by an uncircumcised man who wants to push you there and take over your wife and all your wealth? A man who can do anything to ensure you are in problems.
Answer: There it is better to die. Things for a man are not governed by an uncircumcised man. I would kill him. Its better they increase my charges.
Question: What would you tell your crying supporters as you are being shipped to Hague?
Answer: I would tell them to pray for me and know I am being persecuted for my love of my community.
Question: When you get to Hague how you would ensure the white man does not cheat you?
Answer: I would ask for proceedings to be done in Kikuyu.
Question: When on the dock what would you be thinking of the uncircumcised man who is the source of your predicament?
Answer: I would ask God to forgive him. I would also ask that he gets circumcised so that he matures mentally. I would also ask Kenyans to be very wary of that man.

Mwaka wa hiti (The year of the hyena) – Demathew
Translated and explained snippets:
As Demathew I prophesize and let the stones hear me if men wont.
It is now the year of the hyena. Who will teach you and your ears are blocked?
When a man is seated he sees further than a boy on top of a tree.
You are like a greedy hyena seeing a man walk and following him hoping that his arm will drop off. You follow him till he boards the train and the arm does not drop and you never eat. (A reference to all that may benefit from ICC)
Before Jesus was crucified He stood in the court Judge Pilato and he answered all questions, Judge Pilato said Jesus is free but the crowd asked that a thief be freed instead. (ICC will show Uhuru’s innocence)
Where are you (Peter Kenneth) from? If you were one of us, you would be pained by the people burnt in Kiambaa church. My brother lost his property in Kisumu, how can you tell us he (Raila) is our community’s friend.
Father (Jomo Kenyatta) I feel sad when I see your son (Uhuru) being persecuted by men of ill-will and a woman (Martha Karua) is carrying their bags.
In-law (Kalonzo) things are not going well for you now. You are clueless and your matters are now being discussed by women in the market. But I still remember how you saved me (after 2007 elections) when leopards had attacked me.

After listening to these three songs I shuddered. If the leading lights of Kikuyu music are doing this, then how much more prevalent is it? Are other communities also producing such inciteful vernacular songs? This is a ticking time bomb right under our noses!
Let us think of how to put out this fire before it is too late!
PRAY FOR KENYA!
GOD BLESS KENYA!