Jyothi Yarraji was first disqualified during the women’s 100m hurdles for a false start, then allowed to run and eventually finished third at the Asian Games 2023 on October 1
Hangzhou: Jyothi Yarraji got India a silver medal in women’s 100m hurdles on Sunday at the ongoing Asian Games 2023 at the ‘Big Lotus’ Stadium but only after a drama that unfolded on the field during race time with the officials. Yarraji’s silver was the one of the 15 that India clinched on October 1. Overall, the Indian athletes grabbed three gold, seven silver and five bronze.
One of the favourites to win a medal, Yarraji was up against local Yuwei Lin and Yanni Wu, who were touted to finish on top of the podium. But the 24-year-old was first disqualified, then allowed to run and eventually finished third.
What Exactly Happened During Women’s 100m Finals?
It was the last event of the day at which the race was stopped after the gun was fired. Replays clearly showed that Chinese runner Wu Yanni was responsible for the false start as she got off the blocks even before the gunshot was taken.
The judges reviewed the start of the race at the on-field screen and then disqualified Yanni. Surprisingly, India’s Yarraji was also told that she would be out due to a false start. But Yarraji stood her ground for a while and protested immediately as the race was held up for a few minutes.
Many congratulations to @JyothiYarraji on winning the #SilverMedal in the Women’s 100M Hurdles Athletics Event.
Let’s #Cheer4india 🇮🇳 #WeAreTeamIndia | #IndiaAtAG22 pic.twitter.com/QqqGfv8l6W
— Team India (@WeAreTeamIndia) October 1, 2023
What Does The Rule Say?
According to the rules in sprint races, any athlete who reacts within 100 milliseconds (0.100 second) of the gun going off is considered to have false started. However, the judges later allowed both the athletes to compete and Yanni finished second behind her Chinese compatriot Lin Yuwei (12.74) while Yarraji (13.04) was third.
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) immediately filed a protest and within minutes, Yanni was disqualified under Technical Rule 16.8 and Yarraji’s bronze was upgraded to silver. According to Technical Rule 16.8, any athlete responsible for a false start shall be disqualified by the starter.
But, a note to the rule says “when one or more athletes make a false start, others are inclined to follow and … any athlete who does so has also made a false start. The starter should warn or disqualify only such athletes or athletes who, in their opinion, were responsible for the false start.”
With PTI Inputs