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Sprinters set records running like the wind, but not with it

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Sweeping UCLA in the women’s 200-meter dash was a breezefor USC’s Aareon Payne, Shalina Clarke, and Judith Onyepunuka. They probably wished it wasn’t so easy.

Each sprinter finished faster than her own previous best, but they were aided by a 2.1 meters-per-second wind. Although the Trojans got all of the points from the event and went on to win the 2009 dual meet, the times would not officially count as their personal records. They would have been allowed if the wind was 2 meters per second.

The night before the race, the forecast called for morning rain -- which never really materialized. If you can’t trust the local weatherman, how can meet officials measure wind with such precision?

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Wind gauges -- technically called anemometers-- have evolved a lot over the years. Early versions involved hemispherical cups which would spin in the wind, allowing people to count the revolutions. Eventually, magnets were added to allow computers to count and provide a more reliable result. At Saturday’s meet, officials used a Gill ultrasonic wind gauge (pictured), which retails for $1,665. Cheaper alternatives are available for just over $400, but ultrasonic versions -- which contain no moving parts -- are the gold standard in the track world. Results can transmitted directly to computers and scoreboards.

Even casual fans who just tune into the Olympics are familiar with ‘wind-aided’ times, but it’s only a concern for the shortest sprints (100 meters and 200 meters), hurdles (110 meters and 220 meters), and jumps. Longer distances all involve a complete lap around the track, so the advantages and disadvantages of wind cancel each other out.

Wind is only factored if it’s at an athlete’s back. Crosswinds aren’t measured, nor are headwinds. If you miss a world record by a tenth of a second while running against a hurricane force wind -- tough luck.

Saturday’s readings were calculated on average wind speed over varying parts of each race. The 100-meter dash result was based on a 10-second reading after the gun. The 200-meter dash was only measured on the straightaway, so the gauge didn’t start measuring until roughly 11 seconds into the event.

Terry Hearst, co-owner of Royal Results, was working at the USC-UCLA meet and said the ultrasonic machines have been very reliable. Although no technology is perfect, Hearst’s company monitors thousands of individual races a year and has never missed a wind time.

Of course, there is one human factor the machines can’t account for. Every once in a while, a coach or teammate may try to step in front of the gauge and block the wind. The sport has a long history of antics, and it seems like a number of track veterans have stories about such ‘rare’ incidents -- though they’re rarely eager to talk about specifics.

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-- Adam Rose

Top photo: The men’s 100-meter dash at UCLAduring athe 2008 dual meet against USC. Credit: Adam Rose / Los Angeles Times. Inset photo: Ultrasonic wind gauge. Credit: Gill Athletics.

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