USATF has gotten back to us and told us they WILL honor the order of finish at the Trials for all who have broken 2:11:30. Details and discussion here:
It feels like we’re almost back to 2000 on the men’s side , where only one US marathoner qualified . The US men are over a mile behind the best in the world .
It feels like we’re almost back to 2000 on the men’s side , where only one US marathoner qualified . The US men are over a mile behind the best in the world .
Even worse--after Valencia, the U.S. men are a mile behind the best masters marathoner in the world.
To pick the top 3. We have like 15 guys right now who are ranked high enough in the quota. This headline is basically click bate. The only way this shakes anything up is if someone who is not one of our top 15-18 guys somehow finishes third at the trials, which is highly unlikely. There's no stud who is debuting at the trials. Everyone in the running for top 3 has already run a 2:07-2:11 in the past year, and a top 3 finish with their ranking will be enough to qualify. This is not 'news' that you have to be ranked high enough to qualify if you don't have the auto standard.
What happens in this scenario? Let's say Mantz and Young sh*t the bed at the trials and finish in around 20th place or something. And then the top 3 are all guys that have not run 2:11:30 nor are in the top 80 for World Rankings. Would USATF send only Mantz and Young anyway?
The problem with the US honoring the trials results for the 3rd spot would be the lack of incentive for everyone else to unlock the spot. You just put a marathon in your legs in February and now your supposed to recovery and put up another big performance before May 5th for someone else? In this scenario only the 3rd placer at the trials will be attempting this and there's no gaurentee they boost their ranking high enough. With USATF's proposed criteria, everyone who wants the spot will be attempting to boost their ranking. Higher chance a 3rd spot actually locks up. Boston may be getting Americans at a discount next year. And may also save on the internation field too, we have to get an American in the top 5!
Not much of a solution. Either way, the person who earned the 3rd spot would have to squeeze in a big race before May. The USATF approach just increases the number who might try that from 1 person to like 3-4.
I have been staring at this for a while and cannot figure out what the USATF was thinking.
It should have been top 3 at the trials who have run 2:11:30 at or before the trials, assuming the US gets 3 spots on May 5.
I cannot think of any problem with this that the USATF system fixes.
That is the case. Problem is we won’t officially have the third spot unlocked before May 5. So how can you officially award the top 3 as qualified when WA hasn’t officially? This is more on the difficult standard set by WA with USATF struggling to keep it fair to our runners trying to qualify
I have been staring at this for a while and cannot figure out what the USATF was thinking.
It should have been top 3 at the trials who have run 2:11:30 at or before the trials, assuming the US gets 3 spots on May 5.
I cannot think of any problem with this that the USATF system fixes.
That is the case. Problem is we won’t officially have the third spot unlocked before May 5. So how can you officially award the top 3 as qualified when WA hasn’t officially? This is more on the difficult standard set by WA with USATF struggling to keep it fair to our runners trying to qualify
(1) That is not the case as I read it. For example suppose the trials goes Mantz, Young, Rupp, Fauble. Then if the Road to Paris list is the same on May 5 as today, then the USA will get 3 qualifiers since Fauble is in the top 80. But the USATF rule would give the third spot to Fauble, even though Rupp beat him. In fact, as I read the rules, Fauble wouldn't even have to run the Olympic Trials.
(2) It's the same in my system as the USATF system. The only difference is that on May 5 if we get a third spot, my system picks the person who finished highest at the trials and the USATF picks the highest person on the Road To Paris list.
THIS POLICY IS SO STUPID. I believe USATF must honor the order of finish at the Trials - otherwise there is a scenario where Clayton Young is top 3 at the Trials, the US sends 3 and he doesn't get to go!!!
I want everyone to take a look at this:
I've closed this thread to new posts. From now on post, in that thread.
I know there is another thread on this but I am sort of breaking our own rule of 1 thread per topic as I want to make sure everyone reads this (I've closed the other thread to new posts).Let's say the Trials results is this.1...