On Devon Allen’s Disqualification at the 2022 World Track and Field Championships

Abstract

Devon Allen’s disqualification at the men’s 110-meter hurdle final at the 2022 World Track and Field Championships, due to a reaction time (RT) of 0.099 seconds—just 0.001 seconds below the allowable threshold—sparked widespread debate over the fairness and validity of RT rules. This study investigates two key issues: variations in timing systems and the justification for the 0.1-second disqualification threshold. We pooled RT data from men’s 110-meter hurdles and 100-meter dash, as well as women’s 100-meter hurdles and 100-meter dash, spanning national and international competitions. Using a rank-sum test for clustered data, we compared RTs across multiple competitions, while a generalized Gamma model with random effects for venue and heat was applied to evaluate the threshold. Our analyses reveal significant differences in RTs between the 2022 World Championships and other competitions, pointing to systematic variations in timing systems. Additionally, the model shows that RTs below 0.1 seconds, though rare, are physiologically plausible. These findings highlight the need for standardized timing protocols and a re-evaluation of the 0.1-second disqualification threshold to promote fairness in elite competition.