Super-spikes are damaging credibility of athletics and need to be regulated, says Olympic men’s 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm
Olympic 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm says so-called “super-spikes” are damaging the credibility of athletics.
Warholm called on World Athletics to regulate the new generation of carbon-technology running shoes credited with producing faster times.
The Norwegian smashed his own world record in winning an astonishingly fast men’s 400m hurdles final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics earlier this month.
Rai Benjamin finished second in a time that also eclipsed Warholm’s previous best, while bronze medallist Alison dos Santos ran the fourth fastest time since 1992.
“When somebody does a great performance now, everybody will question if it’s the shoe – and that is the credibility problem,” said Warholm.
“People sitting at home, I don’t want them to feel like they’ve been fooled or tricked. I want there to be credibility.
“Hopefully somebody is doing the research and hopefully World Athletics are there to protect both athletes but also the audience.”
The 25-year-old rowed back on his criticism of the Nike super-spikes used by Benjamin in the wake of the final, having previously said it was “bull****” to have a thick layer of foam in sprint spikes.
Warholm’s Puma shoes also contain carbon plate technology, which he has said do not aid his performances to the same extent.
“What I said was misunderstood in some way, because I had one comment about it after the race and it just blew up and that wasn’t my plan at all,” he added.
“To be honest I don’t know if that shoe [Nike] is the best shoe. My shoe is maybe just as good, but that’s not what it is about, necessarily. I haven’t done the science.”