Carl Lewis calls proposed format change in long jump an April Fools¡¯ joke
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A proposed format change could shake-up the long jump at major track and field competitions, but will the idea take flight? That¡¯s the big question for those involved in the sport right now, notably nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis. The new format, which has been put forward by World Athletics chief executive Jon Ridgeon, could see athletes jump from a take-off zone, rather than a take-off board, essentially doing away with foul jumps. It would mean that jumps are measured from where an athlete takes off to where they land in the pit. https://kraken8.it ¬Ü¬â¬Ñ¬Ü¬Ö¬ß ¬Ó¬ç¬à¬Õ ¡°If you take the long jump at the world championships in Budapest last summer, a third of all jumps were no-jumps,¡± Ridgeon said on an episode of the Anything But Footy podcast, which was released on Monday. ¡°Athletes stepping over the front of the take-off board that doesn¡¯t work, that¡¯s a waste of time ¡¦
proposed format] means every single jump counts, it adds to the jeopardy of the competition, the drama of the competition.¡± Ridgeon added that World Athletics will test the concept this year with ¡°very good athletes,¡± explaining that ¡°if it doesn¡¯t pass testing, we¡¯ll never introduce it.¡±