BLUNDERING athletics officials set a barrier too high causing chaos in the women’s 3000m steeplechase at the prestigious Diamond League meeting in Oslo.
The barrier by the 1500m start was wrongly set at the MEN’S height of 36 inches – six inches higher than the women’s height – at the Bislett Games on Thursday.
And while the first half of the pack got over the barrier without falling down the error caused carnage at the back.
Jamaica’s Aisha Praught, the 2018 Commonwealth Games champ, ended up just running into the barrier and coming to a complete stop.
She then used her hands to help herself get over with world championship silver medallist Courtney Frerichs forced to slow down significantly.
America’s world champion Emma Coburn got over the barrier without problems but she immediately started gesturing to the stands to try to let people know about the gaffe.
Officials were not able to get the barrier moved down for the second lap.
On the third lap, they had half of the barrier at the 30inches height and half at the 36inches height when the runners were approaching.
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They smartly just shoved the barrier over so that the high part was on the inside of the track, while, for the rest of the race, the barrier was at the correct height.
Coburn revealed after the race that the steeple barrier height was corrected only after her husband and coach Joe Bosshard went out on the track.
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She said: “I’m incredibly frustrated that we had to hurdle the men’s barrier on the back straight three times.
“We were waving around and it wasn’t solved until my husband went out onto the track to tell the officials.
“It panicked me but I tried to stay calm and feel as easy as possible from then on.”
Kenyan Hyvin Kiyeng won in 9:09.63, holding off Coburn’s late charge by 0.07 seconds.
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