Stawell Gift controversy

[Rosy]

Dave culbert agrees it's an old fashioned sting. How many others ran dishonestly in the lead up?

In some ways it's a bit like cyclists taking drugs, epo etc and justifying it by saying everyone else is doing it.

Nothing like it imo. Drugs alter the bodies capabilities and are banned as such. Non drug assisted fast running is doing what that body is capable of doing without illegal tampering.

 

[Leysy Days]

Agree poor analogy.

Keeping your form unexposed and beating the handicapper when you have the opportunity (only happens in maybe one cycle in your career) is what nearly every professional runner does when given the chance.

Running "dead" has happened in this caper for 100 years and likely 100 more.

Don't see the fuss.

 

[dusty delivers]

Nothing like it imo. Drugs alter the bodies capabilities and are banned as such. Non drug assisted fast running is doing what that body is capable of doing without illegal tampering.

Yeh it's a poor literal analogy.

But the practice of not trying to get a better handicap is still dishonest. A bit like golfers manipulating their handicap. Most are well known around their clubs and generally not respected for the practice.

And we are talking about a 40k prize pool, not insignificant.

 

[tigertim]

I'm a dill but i dont even know why handicaps exist. Shouldnt each competitor compete evenly and the best one wins?

What other sports ( apart from horse racing) use handicaps?

Maybe whatever team Essendon is playing should be 'handicapped' 5 goals at the start of the game.....

 

[1eyedtiger]

Years ago I used to bowl in a ten pin bowling league which was handicapped. I'm glad there were no stewards or 'inconsistent bowling' rules around. I would have been royally screwed. I used to regularly bowl 140+ one game and then have it go completely haywire and bowl 90 the next game.

 

[mk33]

I'm a dill but i dont even know why handicaps exist. Shouldnt each competitor compete evenly and the best one wins?

What other sports ( apart from horse racing) use handicaps?

Maybe whatever team Essendon is playing should be 'handicapped' 5 goals at the start of the game.....

Professional running like your Stawell Gift etc use handicaps.
The next week the better runners competeted in the Australia track championship all off the same mark.