Why the Tie?

[roger/over]

I'm wondering why there was no jump-off between Rogowska and Feofanova for first place in the Bydgoszcz meet on Wednesday.

It's a little hard to read the scoring chart we saw on PoleVaultPower. The one that is linked through gbathletics.co.uk/ia2006.htm is easier. It shows the sequence between the two as:

Feofanova 4.40/1, 4.54/1, 4.61/1, 4.70xxx

Rogowska 4.40/1, 4.54/p, 4.61/1, 4.70/p, 4.76xxx

It's a little unusual for two vaulters tying at one height (4.61 in this instance), to attempt different following heights. I had to check the IAAF rule to make sure how that is handled. Here's the rule regarding ties:

Ties

8. Ties shall be resolved as follows:

(a) The athlete with the lowest number of jumps at the height at which the tie occurs shall be awarded the higher place.

--same number of jumps (one) at 4.61m

(b) If the tie still remains, the athlete with the lowest total of failures throughout the competition up to and including the height last cleared, shall be awarded the higher place

--same numbef of failures (none)

(c) If the tie still remains:

(i) If it concerns the first place, the athletes tying shall have one more jump at the lowest height at which any of those involved in the tie have lost their right to continue jumping, and if no decision is reached, the bar shall be raised if the tying athletes were successful, or lowered if not, 2cm for the High Jump and 5cm for the Pole Vault. They shall then attempt one jump at each height until the tie is resolved. Athletes so tying must jump on each occasion when resolving the tie.

--lowest height at which either lost her right to continue was Feofanova's failures at 4.70m

The rule seems to say that the competition should have resumed with both vaulters having a try at 4.70, and then proceeding up or down one try each until the tie is broken.

Why didn't this happen? Can vaulters simply agree to keep the first-place tie and not continue the competition? If so, why would Feofanova and Rogowska have chosen to do so?

[BruceFlorman]

The rule seems to say that the competition should have resumed with both vaulters having a try at 4.70, and then proceeding up or down one try each until the tie is broken.

Why didn't this happen? Can vaulters simply agree to keep the first-place tie and not continue the competition? If so, why would Feofanova and Rogowska have chosen to do so?

Well I wasn't there myself, but according to ... http://www.iaaf.org/community/forums/ListThread.htmx?lngCatId=67&ForumID=140&TopicID=19305

Initially a jump-off for first place between Rogowska and Feofanova was announced, but apparently Feofanova didn't want to continue vaulting and in the end the two were given joint first place

[roger/over]

Thanks for the added information, Bruce. Given that Feofanova didn't want to continue, I'm still a little surprised that Rogowska was willing to let her have the tie. Well, it's early-days yet.

[achtungpv]

All that matters is the paycheck and if that wasn't affected I'm sure neither could care less about the place.