THE SIDELINES : Danny Everett Record Rejected

An indoor 400-meter clocking of 45.04 seconds by American Danny Everett in February has been rejected as a world record because the race had an improperly staggered start, the International Amateur Athletic Federation said today.

Everett’s time was faster than the world record of 45.05 seconds set by East German Thomas Schoenlebe in 1988, but IAAF technical director Mike Gee said it cannot be accepted as a record.

The Feb. 4 race in Stuttgart, West Germany, was run in lanes for both laps on the 200-meter track. Everett was among the runners given an increased stagger to compensate for the longer distance they would have to run by staying in lane throughout the race.

But Gee said IAAF rules stipulate that only the first lap should be run in lanes, with the runners allowed to break for the inside lane before the start of the second lap. Such a method allows for a normal stagger at the start.