Athletes fume as Nike shoes pass new restrictions

ATHLETES have accused World Athletics of favouring Nike in the wake of their new regulations to tackle the growing controversy around racing shoes. The sport’s governing body last week issued tighter rules to counter the issue, but critics argue they do not go far enough. While the directives ban footwear with a stack height in excess of 40mm and more than one carbon plate, that has affected only one shoe — the Alphafly prototypes worn by Eliud Kipchoge when he went under two hours for a marathon last year. The rest of Nike’s earlier Vaporfly and Next% products, which have had a drastic impact on the elite end of the sport, have been passed as compliant. The unease grew on Wednesday with the release of Nike’s new Air Zoom Alphafly Next%. With a stack height of 39.5mm there have been raised eyebrows about the convenience of its proximity to the limit of the regulation, given the months they would have spent in development. American Kara Goucher, a former world silver medallist, said: ‘What a coincidence an objective panel with no outside influence landed the ruling at 40mm. Groundhog Day.’ Citing the stack height of 30mm that has been determined for track spikes, Mara Yamauchi, the No 2 on Britain’s all-time marathon standings, said: ‘At every turn, World Athletics seem to be preparing the ground on Nike’s behalf from removal of technology clause, to new 40mm rule, to 30mm for spikes. How many track athletes now wear spikes at 30mm? Not many, surely. So why open the flood gates? Makes no sense. ‘Pretty soon Nike track athletes will be obliterating records in 29.9mm spikes.’ In defending the decision around setting the stack height at 40mm — the same as the version of the Next% released last year — a World Athletics spokesperson told

Sportsmail: ‘The working group created the rule based on what was already available.’ With other brands poised to release competing products, World Athletics are studying the impact of new technologies with a view to further restrictions. British international Jess Judd tweeted: ‘What’s sad is that running used to be so pure. It’s sad that these trainers and spikes are going to be the new norm.’