| 30/09/2004 |
Ian Grant |
Hurdles Distances and Specifications in the UK |
We are increasingly seeing thirteen and fourteen year old athletes who are already well through the maturation process. The human race is now also taller than when the distances which we use were established. There have been movements in Womens specifications over the years but there have not been changes to accommodate the changing physical attributes of males. We are in danger of the event developing into a sprint for short, powerful, stocky boys in the early years. Is this the physique of athlete that will develop into a good/top class Senior Hurdler later?
To this end note the number of young athletes who find the distance between 80m. Hurdles for U.15 Boys and 75m. Hurdles for Girls too small. There is also the added problem of taking seven strides to the first hurdle and this then becoming eight strides when the athletes progress to the next or later Age-Groups.
We should consider moving to a format which starts with eight strides to the first hurdle so that a consistent approach is established early in the athletes career. Many athletes find problems with having to change legs for their start when they move from U.15 to U.17 level
We should also recognise that with the advent of the World U.18 Championships there is an international move towards longer hurdles distances with appropriate lowering of heights (i.e. 100m. Hurdles for U.18 Men at 30 and 100m. Hurdles for U.18 Women at 26). These athletes would still have two further years in the U.20 Age-Group so a number of them may still be in the U.17 Age-Group at this stage, although some may be in their first of three years as an U.20 athlete.
This can most easily be achieved by changing the distances to the following:-
Male Sprint Hurdle Distances
U.15 - 100m.
U.17 - 110m.
U.20 - 110m.
Senior - 110m.
Female Sprint Hurdle Distances
U.15 - 80m.
U.17 - 100m.
U.20 - 100m.
Senior - 100m.
I feel that this would encourage athletes to learn to sprint in hurdles from the early stages and reach an appropriate stride length by 16 by which time the majority of athletes have virtually stopped growing. The issue then should be a steady development in hurdle height.
For the Men this could be as at present, i.e.:-
U.15 - 29
U.17 - 30
U.20 - 36 (preferred, although I recognise the Schools desire for 33)
For the Women:-
U.15 26 (there may be case for 23 for developmental purposes)
U.17 26
U.20 29 (again there may be a case for the Schools to use 26)
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