By Elias Esquivel, University of Oregon SOJC Track Bureau
It was supposed to be Devon Allen’s night.
Allen was highly favored to medal in the men’s 110-meter hurdles final Sunday at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 after an outstanding season that included a 12.84-second performance, the third fastest in history, and rattling off seven wins. Allen received a resounding ovation from the crowd when he was introduced.
The moment just felt right. Allen, a former Duck seeking his first global medal, would receive his long-awaited coronation inside Hayward Field. It was the place where his father, who tragically passed away last month, spent years watching his son compete — always in the best seat, as Allen had said on Saturday. It was the place that embraced Allen reverently, and grieved his losses alongside him.
Oh, how quickly everything went wrong.
Within moments after the gun, it went off again, signaling the athletes to return to their blocks. Soon after, it was announced that lane three, Allen’s lane, had false started. A red card was held high, boos were heard around the stadium and Allen quickly protested the decision. He pleaded his case for multiple minutes, to no avail.
Allen stepped off the track, with the boos still raining down from the stands. In the end, the United States’ Grant Holloway won his second consecutive world title in 13.03. Trey Cunningham, who won the NCAA title earlier this summer at Hayward, finished .05 behind for the silver, and Spain’s Asier Martinez recorded a personal best to win bronze.
The false-start from Allen may be the headline, but the entire race was drama-filled. Hansle Parchment, the Olympic champion in Tokyo and fastest qualifier Sunday, dropped out minutes before the race after injuring himself in a pre-race practice run. Shane Brathwaite was disqualified after clipping the fifth hurdle, knocking over the sixth and then stepping off the track.
Allen registered a reaction time .001 faster than the .1 threshold. Allen said he knows “for a fact” that he didn’t react until he heard the gun. The disqualification elicited controversy over social media, with outcries over the false-start rule and claims that the standard was arbitrary.
Cunningham and Holloway were quick to voice their support for Allen.
“We didn’t think he false started,” said Cunningham. “None of the athletes did, and we really wanted him to run.”
“I’m on Devon’s side,” added Holloway. “I didn’t think he false started at all … I even told Devon to go protest.”
Allen said he didn’t know initially why the gun signaled them back, but thought it could have been because of Holloway.
“My first reaction was that maybe Grant was still going into set, because it was a quick gun, and he goes into set a little bit later,” said Allen. “So when I was flagged, I was very surprised.”
Allen said he will learn from the experience, and he joked that he will make sure not to react as fast next time. He also said there is not much he can do about the matter, since it was only one race. However, in track and field, it can be one race that defines an athlete.
“Track and field is so difficult because you train the whole year for one competition that lasts 12-13 seconds,” said Allen. “And that’s that, right? And it’s like your identity is based all on that one competition, which is frustrating.”
Allen may have some validity for his indignation. It’s unclear why World Athletics continues to enforce it — especially since in 2009 the organization released a news report detailing a study commissioned by the organization to determine whether the standard reaction time was correct.
The study revealed great disparities in individual reaction time, and it confirmed previous reports of reaction times as fast as .080. For context, Allen’s reaction time was registered at .099. The researchers recommended moving the standard down to 80-85 milliseconds. They have not in the 13 years since the study.
It’s a disappointing end to an exceptional season for Allen. However, Allen, who reports to training camp in less than nine days, doesn’t seem to be too discouraged.
“My goal is to be the best hurdler ever and I still have the chance to do that,” said Allen. “And my goal is to play in the NFL and help, right now, the Eagles win the Super Bowl.
