AAt 99 out of 100 meters, Mujinga Kambundji looked like the sure winner in the sprint final of the European Athletics Championships. But with the last steps, Gina Lückenkemper shot up, whipped forward by the enthusiastic audience in Munich’s Olympic Stadium. And on the finish line, the German was actually ahead. Not just proverbially, but officially, according to the target photo decision. But does the nose count at all to determine the winner?
Both sprinters were measured with 10.99 seconds. Solomonically, they would each be entitled to a gold medal. But King Solomon has no right of veto in athletics. In the tough world of running, throwing and jumping, dates, numbers and facts count. And when in doubt, fractions of a second. And body parts. only which ones?
The target photo decides. The frozen image of the moment of crossing the finish line in landscape format. And its interpretation. Crossed by lines representing times. What looks like an indissoluble bundle of bodies to laypeople gives experts a clear view of gold or silver and the other placements.
The decisive factor for determining the ranking is which runner crosses the finish line first. And with the torso. That’s why it makes sense for the sprinters to throw their upper body forward at the decisive moment, as Gina Lückenkemper did in an exemplary manner on Tuesday evening.
The torso is defined as the part of the body that lies between the shoulders and hips. So it’s no use throwing your hands forward. Cheering prematurely can even cost the victory. It doesn’t count the head or the arm, but neither does the front foot or the long leg. But the torso. In case of doubt, the outstretched chest. Or just the shoulder.
While Mujinga Kambundji crossed the finish line upright and straight on Tuesday evening, Gina Lückenkemper threw her left shoulder a little forward at the decisive moment. This maneuver caused her to stumble and fall across the finish line, but it also earned her the gold medal. Lückenkemper’s shoulder triggered the photo finish after exactly 10.984 seconds, while the Swiss competitor’s chest only took 10.989. Five thousandths that meant the world that night and made the difference between gold and silver.