This is the kind of controversy that doesn’t just spark debate — it lights a fire under the credibility of an entire sport. At the heart of it? A governing body, World Athletics, that appears to have two completely different rulebooks depending on the flag stitched onto your jersey.
Let’s rewind. Kenyan marathoner Peres Jepchirchir took gold in the women’s marathon, delivering an epic sprint finish in the heat and humidity of Tokyo. But what wasn’t so epic? The fact that she received aid *outside* the official support zones — a direct violation of the rules. Water, ice, assistance… all handed off illegally by Kenya’s support crew. And in a race that punishing? That’s not just bending the rules — that’s grabbing an unfair edge when your competitors are playing it clean.
American Susanna Sullivan, a full-time sixth-grade math teacher, was the one left heartbroken in fourth. Multiple countries filed protests, demanding justice. What did World Athletics do? They handed Kenya a yellow card. A “warning”. That’s it. No disqualification. No time penalty. Just a shrug and a slap on the wrist.
Fast forward 24 hours.
American middle-distance star Cole Hocker — who, by all accounts, ran a tough and clean 1,500-meter semifinal — was disqualified for minor contact in the final stretch of the race. The ruling? “Jostling.” The reality? Barely a brush with Germany’s Robert Farken, who was already struggling to keep pace. He wasn’t impeded. He wasn’t fouled. He wasn’t going to qualify. Yet somehow, Hocker’s Olympic dreams were shut down in an instant. Disqualified. Appeal denied.
And here’s the kicker: Farken — the guy who finished “ninth” — was allowed to advance.
If you’re keeping score at home, that’s a yellow card for literal cheating with race-altering support… and a red card for a shoulder tap in the heat of competition.
World Athletics has preached zero tolerance for misconduct. They’ve pointed to their Integrity Code of Conduct like a badge of honor. But integrity doesn’t mean much when rules are applied this inconsistently. It’s not just about the calls they make — it’s about the calls they “don’t” make. And right now, the silence on Kenya’s infraction is deafening.
Track and field already battles for relevance in a crowded sports landscape. The athletes? They’re grinding. They’re putting it all on the line. But the governing body? When they pick and choose when to enforce their own rules, it undercuts everything.
Cole Hocker ran with heart. Susanna Sullivan ran with grit. Both deserved better. If fairness really matters to World Athletics, they’ve got a long way to go to prove it.
