Alison Jordan: From injured athlete to world silver level referee

We caught up with top level Technical Official Alison Jordan at the Loughborough International this year and talked about her experiences and her officiating journey.

Alison has been around athletics tracks since she was 'knee high to the proverbial grasshopper' and originally qualified as a Track Judge. Many go into officiating because they are the parent of an athlete; for Alison it was because she was the child of an official! When injured as a club athlete somebody said she could always take the basic level officials' exam for track. So 28 years ago, that's what she did, although she now specialises in photofinish and is also a World Athletics Silver Referee.

Why did you decide to specialise in photofinish?

"The honest answer is I didn't initially. I qualified as a track official and I'm still a track official. But back in the old grade system when you got to Grade 2 (Level 3), you got your regional selections - and I suddenly found myself appointed as Photofinish Judge for a Midlands meeting.

"I turned up not knowing what to do, got taught how to use photofinish, and it followed on from there.

"I have always enjoyed and and still take part in both track judging and photofinish. I was asked by UK Athletics if I would go on a European course back in 2015 to progress to the next level and the rest is history!"

What's your favourite memory at a world class event?

"Oh there are loads of memories. Whether it's signing your first world record form, which I got to do as a Chief Photofinish at a Diamond League and again this year as the Track Referee at the World Indoors. I've lost count of the number of para-athletics records I've seen as an International Photofinish Judge. But my favourite record would be the first I ever judged back in 2012.

"My most memorable moment was at the Paralympics in Tokyo, where most people remember that joint bronze medal for Jonnie Peacock and Johannes Floors. I was sweating - partly due to the humidity but also the result. That was one I think I'm always going to remember because my phone was pinging big time after that with a few cheeky comments."

What's been your biggest challenge when you've been officiating?

"I think one of the biggest challenges was back in 2021 with all the Covid restrictions on international travel. Going to Poland for the European Team Championships that year; when you saw shot putters coming out from the Covid nasal swab testing and their eyes were watering, you knew what it was going to be like. There was also the challenge around general communication with masks on.

"Then going to Tokyo later that year the Covid tests were of a different style, the ones where you spit into a test tube. And sometimes the challenge was - this is going to sound disgusting - actually getting it into the test tube. It got messy, especially at 4am on marathon morning day."

Where do you go from here? What's still on your officiating wish list?

"There are still things I would love to do and places I would love to go with athletics with my most recent trip to the European Championships in Rome for my first appointment as a referee. This was not in photofinish and out on the field of play which was slightly daunting and nerve wracking."

You still officiate at grassroots: what's your favourite thing about that level of competition?

"It's the camaraderie you get with the officials. Plus the big thing is seeing people come through from the youngest age groups right the way up through to country level masters events.

"When you watch people developing through the sport - you see someone competing who is under 13, and when you're still officiating ten years later, they have progressed and are competing at the highest levels."

Any ideas on how we can get young people into officiating?

"That's the $6 million question, isn't it? If I knew the answer I could sell it to people. Actually, it's a worldwide problem; talking to officials from other countries, they've got the same issues and all our conversations seem to be if anybody hits on the answer, please share it so that we can get it going everywhere around the world."

Photo top right of Alison in red by Peter Milsom. Other photos with permission.