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The Racewalk Electronic Detection System

In the 1990s, there was an attempt to introduce an electronic system to control loss of contact in race walking, using a system invented and patented by Mr. Dennis Furlong (patents: EP0360930A1 and US 4956628) and based on the use of specific shoes provided with pressure sensors inserted in the sole giving electrical signals to two electronic devices included in the shoes. These devices, in turn, provided an alarm when there was a failure or loss of contact by the walker. The Furlong design allowed for a small loss of contact, called a 'flight time'. Any losses of contact greater than this threshold amount would register.

After the fallout from the racewalk judging controversies of the 2000 Olympics, this possible shoe "solution" gained momentum. The following article was published in the Australian Newspaper in early December 2000 and mirrored a corresponding IAAF news release. The media release understandably provoked a lot of fiery discussion.

Lausanne Switzerland: The introduction of an intelligent shoe to resolve walking race disqualification disputes is to be considered by the International Athletic Federation. “It would avoid the kind of dispute we saw at the Sydney Olympics” IAAF spokesman Giorgio Reineri said. At Sydney, the Mexican Bernardo Segura was disqualified 15 minutes after he had conducted a lap of honour in celebration of his victory in the 20 km walk. Australian Jane Saville was disqualified just before entering the stadium while comfortably leading the women’s race. According to the Council report, the footwear, invented by Canadian Dennis Furlong, would have a 90 gram capsule attached to each shoe that would immediately detect loss of contact with the ground. The shoe, due to be presented to the commission in February, would emit a beep and trigger a red light after a certain number of faults. But opposition is expected from race walking judges.

The system was examined and assessed by World Athletics (then known as the IAAF) but it was discarded as it had several problems due to its excessive weight and size and due to the insufficient accuracy of its operation.

Technology has progressed a long way since then and hence the revisit, taking advantage of new technological designs. A position paper was prepared in 2013 by Italian Antonio Amigo and was then widely circulated for review and comment (see http://www.vrwc.org.au/documents/2013-Electronic-System-for-loss-of-contact-control-in-Race-Walking-Antonio-Amigo.pdf).

An amount of money was made available by World Athletics to mount a pilot study for what was termed The Electronic Detection System Project to create a definitive judging system for race walking events. As of December 2016, this pilot had now moved to the design stage, with contracts signed to construct two preindustrial demonstration prototypes to detect loss of contact by race walkers. One will be used in training and another for competition. The timeline for completion of the project was 18 months.

The results of this project were to considered by the World Athletics Race Walking Committee in order to draw up a rule change proposal which would then need to be considered by the Technical Committee and approved by Council. The goal was to be able to trial a system in competitions ahead of the 2019 World Athletics Championships.

Note that this would only have detected loss of contact or unacceptable flight phase times. Judges would still be required to monitor the event (in particular, the final 100m) and rule on bent knees.

It was hoped by many of us that the final accepted rule change would be based on minimum flight times rather than on pure contact. It is fair to say that any new system that seeks to completely eliminate any loss of contact would force such a slowdown in races that it would effectively kill the sport. And of course, it goes without saying that the current records would need to be anulled.

Dr Brian Hanley from Leeds University, a leading expert in the field of race walking biomechanics, recently asked his opinion early in late 2017 on how the proposed electronic shoe would effect times achieved by walkers. His full report Measurement of Flight Time in Race Walking was published in http://www.vrwc.org.au/newsletters/heelandtoe-2018-num09.pdf. It made for interesting reading and raised the question – how much analysis had World Athletics done on this topic and what sort of flight phase were they going to allow? The devil’s in the detail and at that time NO details had been published.

Interestingly, in the two years since then, there does not seem to have been any progression. The electronic devices have not been used in any test races. No technical documents have been published. It is my opinion that the project, like the now defunct World Athletics Race Walking Committee, is dead in the water and we are unlikely to hear anything further.

But who really knows so .... STAY TUNED!

STOP PRESS - 21 December 2023

If you thought those pesky ‘pie in the sky’ shoe chips had gone once and for all, think again. An article by Tomas Campos in www.marca.com (dated 11/12/2023) tells us that the Polytechnic University of Catalonia has developed a system that works, although it is still too early to be used in official competitions. The article is reproduced in http://www.vrwc.org.au/newsletters/heelandtoe-2023-num50.pdf.

So my comment remains the same as previously stated: STAY TUNED!

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Possible Technological Rule Changes

The Racewalk Electronic Detection System