Jackson anger at proposal

TRACK legend Colin Jackson has blasted plans to strip athletes of world records set before 2005.

The Welshman’s 110m hurdles record stood for 13 years and he is still the fastest man in history over 60m indoors with the time he set in 1994.

It is hoped the new proposal will restore the reputation of a sport which has been dogged by a host of doping scandals.

Svein Arne Hansen, the president of European Athletics, claimed world records “are meaningless if people don’t really believe them”.

But Jackson hit back and said: “They are making excuses why they are doing it but they are wrong.

Ridiculous

“All athletes set out to achieve and when we achieve medals, that is fantastic, that is our primary objective.

“When you break records, it is the icing on the cake. So for them to now say, ‘We aren’t sure if your record was done in a legal fashion so we don’t want you having the record but you can keep all your medals’ is quite ridiculous.”

The proposals still need to be accepted by IAAF president Lord Coe and Jackson added: “My message to Seb Coe would be to think very carefully about what you are trying to do and what you are trying to achieve.

“They are trying to rob memories and make people cast doubt on athletes from the past.

“People want to see a new era but we always look at history. That is what statistics are all about.”