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Tracks, Record-Setting Achievements and Illegal Drugs
Except for road and cross-country races, most outdoor races take place on oval 400-meter tracks. These are often made of asphalt or rubber particles. Field events are usually held on the grassy area inside the track, with synthetic run-ups for the jumps and the javelin throw, and concrete circles for the other throwing events. The world records for all events, indoors and out, are approved and kept by the IAAF, headquartered in London , England . New records must be submitted to the IAAF for ratification before becoming official. Since the 1970's, many have questioned whether some record-setting achievements on the aspect of being produced with the aid of performance-enhancing drugs or other unsanctioned techniques. Testing of athletes has become standard. There are cases wherein the results have nullified records set such as Canada 's Ben Johnson. He lost his world record and the 1988 Olympic gold medal for the 100-m race after the tests detected anabolic steroids in his system. |
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