Unfortunately the handicapping system is as antiquated as the setting for the race.  As much as the form and fitness, the handicaps assigned to the runners largely determines who wins and who loses. Athletes have to engage in a game of delicately balancing their training and their form to get a handicap that gives them a chance of winning.  They all do it, some more successfully than others, and if they push the limit too much they get caught out and are penalised for failing to run on their merits, or as the handicapper said after the recent event – for “excessive improvement”.

The huge controversy at Stawell this year surrounded the “excessive improvement” of the teenage winner of the Women’s Gift. Talia Martin won her heat showing form which was a vast improvement over the performances of her lead up races. She then won the final in a close finish after a poor start.

I am in two minds about this.

First of all, in these days of computers and sophisticated statistics the handicapper should not be influenced by a couple of slow times leading up the event.

Secondly, and in defence of Talia, an athlete trains hard before a big event and when competing during this stage of the training cycle fatigue affects their performance.  In Talia’s case she also reports that a lead up race was at the time of a death in the family and she was not properly focused.  

Who can say? Even if perhaps she did lift her foot from the pedal previously.

Whatever the circumstances, let’s hope the Stawell Gift will continue to be a wonderful, spectacular and historic sporting event.