I don't think so, but there are some with considerable knowledge who say so.
Did Joe Kovac's foot touch the top of the board? Joe didn't think so at the time and was quite vociferous about it to the judge seated next to the circle. The mark wasn't measured when the red flag went up and the appeal was denied. The throw was certainly past the 22 meter mark, but was it enough to pass Ryan Clouser's 73' 10.75" toss? When I saw it, I didn't think so, but others with more knowledge say it might have been.
Let's hope our resident Throws Expert Official and Director of Security Mark Heckel will chime in and put some knowledge on us!
Here's Mark Heckel's Verdict:
From this single photo, it's hard to determine of this a foul or not. My personal preference is to see it as a no-call, since there is nothing conclusive that this is a foul. From this angle, and remember there was probably another official on the other side, there is nothing to indicate that he was on top of the board. My general rule is that if the sole of the shoe does not crease or bend, then there was not weight on the top of the board, hence there is no contact. We are always sure to tell each other "if you think you saw something, then you saw nothing." I find it difficult for someone to be able to say, CONCLUSIVELY, that this was a foul when judged at full speed. Sadly, the same can be said for the appeal - there just wan't enough evidence to overturn the call, so it stands as a foul. Very questionable call by the officials, and should have been a no-call. BTW, a similar thing happened to Kibwe Johnson in the hammer. Some of the officiating was a bit suspect.Thanks Mark!
