ON THE QUALITY OF DISTANCE MEASUREMENTS IN ATHLETIC THROWING EVENTS

Abstract

Distance measurement in athletic throwing events is fundamentally a surveying problem which should follow the appropriate quality control procedures. This paper discusses the measurement procedure adopted by the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) for throwing events, with particular emphasis on the javelin event. Published National Survey Standards are applied to form models of the errors associated with the IAAF procedure. The effect of these random error models on measured throwing distances is discussed statistically with probabilities of ‘miscarriages of justice’ (one athlete throwing less far than another but being awarded a longer distance by the officials) being presented. Finally some comments and recommendations regarding the IAAF measurement specifications are made.