Triple Olympic champion Marion Jones of the United States says she is against the rule proposed by athletics' governingbody to disqualify sprinters after one false start.
"I think it's ridiculous," said Jones, who false-started once in Saturday's meeting in Princeton before going on to win in her first outdoor 100 metresrace of the year.
Existing rules allowed her a second chance but under the change the International Amateur Athletic Federation plans to test this year in anattempt to discourage false starts, to shorten meeting and to make for a better "show", Jones would have been disqualified.
"I've signed a petition totally against it," said Jones. She joins Maurice Greene and Ato Boldon on the list.
"If you have a foul jump they don't kick you out of the competition," she added Jones. She won golds in the 100, 200 and 4 x 400 metres relay at theSydney Olympics, plus bronzes in the long jump and 4 x 100 metres relay.
"If you knock the bar down in the high jump they don't kick you out of the competition so why are they doing that for the sprints?"
Reuters