WholeHogSports
Spearmon disqualified for race lane violation
Posted on Thursday, August 21, 2008
URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/nwat/68335/
Former Arkansas Razorbacks Veronica Campbell-Brown, Alistair Cragg and Wallace Spearmon competed in rounds of their respective events at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China on Wednesday.
Spearmon experienced a life-long dream fulfilled and then had it shattered as quick as it came. Initially declared the bronze medal winner in the men’s 200-meter final with a time of 19. 95, he was later deemed disqualified for taking too many steps on the line.
After celebrating his bronze, Spearmon was informed that he had been disqualified for a lane violation, running on the inside line. After filing a protest, Team USA officials viewed film of the race and accepted the disqualification when they realized Spearmon had indeed committed a violation.
Spearmon’s disqualification moved American Shawn Crawford to bronze and American Walter Dix to fourth. Team USA officials also believed that the film showed second-place Churandy Martina, former UTEP All-American and member of Team Netherlands Antilles, committing a similar violation, and they protested Martina’s finish on those grounds.
After again reviewing the tape, meet officials disqualified Martina as well. That left a final finishing order of Jamaica’s Usain Bolt (19. 30 ), Crawford (19. 96 ) and Dix (19. 98 ).
Cragg ran the prelims of the 5, 000 meters on Wednesday. He clocked a time of 13: 38. 57 to finish sixth in his heat. A two-time Olympian, he advanced to Saturday’s final in the event based on time.
Campbell-Brown ran the semifinals of the 200 meters on Wednesday. A three-time Olympian, she advanced to today’s finals after winning her semifinal heat. She ran a time of 22. 19.
For complete results of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, visit www. iaaf. org. For up-to-date information about the Razorbacks in Beijing, visit ArkansasRazorbacks. com.