Cheating at ISSF Olympic Qualification Championship 2024

[GolfShot]

Was recently watching the ISSF Olympic Qualification Championship 2024 (Rio De Janeiro) and noticed these two blantant examples of cheating.


Aleski Leppa has an oversized kurt thune sweater which is bunching up at the wrist to aid in the standing position. It also appears that the reinforcement on his sling arm is oversized.

Rifle Rules
7.5.4.8
On the arm which holds the
sling, the reinforcement may extend from the upper arm to a point 100 mm
from the end of the sleeve.

7.5.7.2 Only normal personal undergarments and/or training clothing that does
not immobilize or unduly reduce the movement of the athlete’s legs, body
or arms may be worn under the shooting jacket and/or trousers. Any other
undergarments are prohibited.

Chiara Leone is wearing an Whoop device on her wrist (electronic sports monitoring device).

General Technical Rules
6.7.4.4
Mobile phones or other hand-held communication devices (i.e. tablets, etc.),
electronic devices or wrist-worn devices (i.e. smart watches) may not be used
by athletes on the firing line.


Please see attached images for reference.

[bdutton]

Regarding the wrist worn device rule. The rule states first:

"Mobile phones or other hand-held communication devices"

The key point here is hand held communication devices... "may not be used"

Then gives examples of the types of devices... "(i.e. tablets, etc.),
electronic devices or wrist-worn devices (i.e. smart watches)"

Seems to me it is explicitly prohibiting communication devices. If the wrist worn device is not capable of communications its ok to wear. IMO.

No opinion either way on the bunched up sweater.

[GolfShot]

Seems to me it is explicitly prohibiting communication devices. If the wrist worn device is not capable of communications its ok to wear. IMO.

Whoop communicates via Blutooth.

[Tim S]

Cheating, to me at least,is a very loaded word, and implies intent. Do you have any proof that Chiara Leone actually communicated with her coach, or even intended to do so, rather than just not removing her her watch? Practically would she be able to communicate with it while shooting? If you can't labelling this as cheating seems very close to defamation.

Could both these infractions not have been sorted by range officials pointing out potential offences?

[GolfShot]

Cheating, to me at least,is a very loaded word, and implies intent. Do you have any proof that Chiara Leone actually communicated with her coach, or even intended to do so, rather than just not removing her her watch? Practically would she be able to communicate with it while shooting? If you can't labelling this as cheating seems very close to defamation.

Could both these infractions not have been sorted by range officials pointing out potential offences?

Defamation is laughable. The rules clearly state you cannot wear an electronic device. She is wearing an Whoop which is an electronic device that communicates via blutooth.

Ofcourse the range officials should of sorted this but as history shows they routinly let infractions slide.

[Tim S]

Defamation is laughable. The rules clearly state you cannot wear an electronic device. She is wearing an Whoop which is an electronic device that communicates via blutooth.

You've proven Leone broke a rule, but can you prove she cheated? Without proof she gained an advantage, or intended to, your remarks could be seen as libel under British law.

Have you sent your thoughts to the ISSF, the people who can do something about this? Based on your previous exposes of "cheating" this forum doesn't seem so focussed on pettifogging.

[PaulB]

Do gloves have to meet the stiffness standard of 7.5.2.2? If so, how is it measured? Gloves are mentioned as clothing under 7.5.1.1 and it states that the material must be flexible so I assume that it must meet the stiffness test. I doubt the plastic like material most shooters have on the back of their gloves would pass. (see 4th picture). The reinforcement on the sleeve (same picture) is clearly less than 10cm (4 inches) from the end of the sleeve (7.5.4.8.b)

[Hopper]

Bit of a long shot on the Whoop. Slight difference between a communication device and a device that communicates. Seeing as the communication on the whoop is also only one direction.
Believe that on this point it also doesnt break the the spirit or intent of the rule.

[Thauglor]

I thought I remembered someone posting about "cheating" a few years ago and it was you in 2021,about cheating in Tokyo and in New Delhi. Do you have a hard on for the rules or something? You one of those people that goes to the rules as soon as to complain when anyone beats you and it happens often to people like you. Either complain to the correct governing body or go away

[j-team]

Either complain to the correct governing body or go away

So, is there a list of rules that are OK to ignore? Just asking...

[GolfShot]

I thought I remembered someone posting about "cheating" a few years ago and it was you in 2021,about cheating in Tokyo and in New Delhi. Do you have a hard on for the rules or something? You one of those people that goes to the rules as soon as to complain when anyone beats you and it happens often to people like you. Either complain to the correct governing body or go away

Who watches the Watchmen?

[400driver]

whoop is just a heart rate monitor, communicates suggests two way. This device just sends out your heart race to your phone. Its not a smart watch, has no screen etc.

[GolfShot]

whoop is just a heart rate monitor, communicates suggests two way. This device just sends out your heart race to your phone. Its not a smart watch, has no screen etc.

Looks like alot more than just heart rate according to there own website,

https://www.whoop.com/au/en/the-data/

Bluetooth is two way communication.

Having a screen or not is not a metric to judge something to be a communication device. Analogue phones have no screens but are communication devices.

[colinlp]

In this case we can look at the Whoop as being a one way communicator, the stream of actual information is from the device to another remote device held in a bag or by the coach. As far as I'm aware there will be return data sent but only in the form of data received acknowledgements and data checks that work at data communication level according with Bluetooth protocols rather than at user level. We can look at streaming digital TV movies in much the same way. The gain will be that the athlete's personal performance under the pressure of high level competition can be recorded and worked on in future training sessions

If it is of that much concern then probably some communication with the ISSF would be more meaningful than pointing it out here. 10 out of 10 for observation though

[GolfShot]

In this case we can look at the Whoop as being a one way communicator, the stream of actual information is from the device to another remote device held in a bag or by the coach. As far as I'm aware there will be return data sent but only in the form of data received acknowledgements and data checks that work at data communication level according with Bluetooth protocols rather than at user level. We can look at streaming digital TV movies in much the same way. The gain will be that the athlete's personal performance under the pressure of high level competition can be recorded and worked on in future training sessions

If it is of that much concern then probably some communication with the ISSF would be more meaningful than pointing it out here. 10 out of 10 for observation though

I have sent numerous emails to issf in the past without any response.

But heaven forbid your air rifle is 1gram over.

[rgibson]

Golfshot, I read the rule on electronic devices you provided and it reads “may not be used by athletes on the firing line.” It does not say ‘may not be worn.”

[atomicgale]

But heaven forbid your air rifle is 1gram over.

. . . I had similar problem at Ft. Benning last winter. . .
. . . with Rover's Single-Malt being on the banned substance list . . . heaven forbid that my BAC was .01 over the limit to shoot fairly . . . .