IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Photo finish race to be decided by coin toss or run-off

Allyson Felix puts her arm around Jeneba Tarmoh after the two runners tied for third place in the women's 100m race at the U.S. Olympic athletics trials in Eugene, Oregon, June 23.
Allyson Felix puts her arm around Jeneba Tarmoh after the two runners tied for third place in the women's 100m race at the U.S. Olympic athletics trials in Eugene, Oregon, June 23.Mike Blake / Reuters
By PhotoBlog
This Saturday, June 23, 2012, photo provided by USA Track & Field shows the third-place finish of the women's 100-meter final from a photo-finish camera, shot at 3,000-frames-per-second, during the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore. Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh, in foreground, finished in a dead heat for the last U.S. spot in the 100 to the London Games, each leaning across the finish line in 11.068 seconds.
This Saturday, June 23, 2012, photo provided by USA Track & Field shows the third-place finish of the women's 100-meter final from a photo-finish camera, shot at 3,000-frames-per-second, during the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore. Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh, in foreground, finished in a dead heat for the last U.S. spot in the 100 to the London Games, each leaning across the finish line in 11.068 seconds.USA Track & Field via AP

Allyson Felix puts her arm around Jeneba Tarmoh after the two runners tied for third place in the women's 100m race at the U.S. Olympic athletics trials in Eugene, Oregon, June 23.
Allyson Felix puts her arm around Jeneba Tarmoh after the two runners tied for third place in the women's 100m race at the U.S. Olympic athletics trials in Eugene, Oregon, June 23.Mike Blake / Reuters

 NBC Olympics reports: Nearly 24 hours of confusion over how the dead heat between Allyson Felixand Janeba Tarmoh for the third and final spot on the Olympic team in the women’s 100m will come down to either a coin flip or a run-off.

According to these new procedures, which will be applied to all instances of breaking a tie for the final slot in a running event in which a national team or Olympic team slot is at stake, the tie will be broken by the following protocol:

The athletes involved will be given the option to determine the tie-breaker via coin toss or by run-off.

If the athletes disagree on the tie-breaker, the tie will be broken by a run-off.

If both athletes refuse to declare a preference between the coin toss or the run-off, the tie will be broken by a coin toss.

PhotoBlog