Olympic Trials Tie Confuses Officials
No procedure in place for dead heat
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Officials at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Oregon, announced Sunday that runners who tied for third place in the women’s 100-meter final can choose to break the tie by either a runoff or a coin toss. Judges initially ruled Jeneba Tarmoh third place in Saturday’s race for the final spot on the women’s 100-meter team but declared a dead-heat finish with Allyson Felix after reviewing photos. A runoff will be held if one or both athletes chooses that option. If both athletes refuse to make a choice, a coin toss will decide the outcome. “Nine times out of 10, most athletes aren’t going to want to flip a coin,” Bobby Kersee, who coaches both runners, said. USA Track and Field had no procedure in place for breaking trials ties.
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