Heat 1 of women’s semi-final 1500 is stacked - ESP, MacLean, Sinclaire, Nikki and McGee - on 5 advance

“Stacked”

It looks that way - I would characterize it as six women competing for 5 auto-spots: the 5 you named + SHK.

Based largely on the first round, I’d like to see 6 from each semi in the final:

1: St. Pierre, MacLean, Johnson, McGee, Hiltz, Hurta-Klecker

2: Mackay, Cranny, Jones, Donaghu, Camp-Bennett, Schlachtenhaufen

Semi 1 has at least 5 women with a chance to make the team, which you wouldn’t say about semi 2.

Wiley has not looked right.

Of course it’s likely that the small qs will both come from the same semi.

The slow pace in heat one of the prelims created this scenario. Heat 1 is a wrecking ball. Heat two has a couple good runners, but not the depth. Heat 1 might have some casualties as it will be bunched.

I can see heat 1 being tactical with nobody wanting to lead, and even a final fast lap not being enough to get time qualifier. If so, it’s probably 4 she’s and 1 they who advance

St Pierre and Mackay will not tolerate a slower, tactical, high risk pace. In fact, almost everyone will prefer a faster pace since they are all, you know, fast. The pace will be honest and finish fast.

Or you could simply say 5 athletes or runners who advance? Attention seeking.

Yet again Cranny gets an easy draw, guess she's lucky. She got to run 10 seconds slower than ESP in her first 1,500 and now presumably gets to run slower here too, helping her legs for the final. But I still think ESP will beat her in the final, and I'm rooting for her to win.

We could easily see (at least) one contender out in heat 1 -- who's really incentivized to make it fast? ESP already has the 5000 rounds in her legs. Hiltz and McGee know they're favorites to advance in a slow race that goes to the kickers. Hurta-Klecker is probably running on pure hate after the 800, but she's the slowest 1500 runner of the bunch on paper and has the speed to close well + I'd assume also stands to gain from a slower race.

Maybe MacLean or Johnson could push it, but both of them are podium threats in the final and I assume they don't want to go crazy in the rounds. Maybe one of the 4:03+ runners tries to make it fast, but that's so hard to do. Should be a great race regardless.

Heat 2 expecting Mackay/Cranny/Jones to go through. Probably Wiley/Schlachtenhaufen as well. Hoping for Christina to snag the last big Q there!

Looks like heat 1 wasn't as stacked as you thought. Hurta-Klecker is not a factor in a 1500 yet.

It was an honest pace but 6th place could only manage an even split 4:08 which is not competitive for a OT semifinal

Sage had to run a few seconds closer to fifth. There are 31 women who have run quicker than that ths year, probs 7 in this heat

Hurta was completely out of line line shoving Elle for no reason. Karma took care of it.

That was exciting. Pleasant surprise was NAU’s Maggie C advancing!

WRONG. Elle clearly impeded Hurta by cutting in when she didn't have space to do so. If anything Hurta saved Elle from a DQ. If Hurta didn't shove her and instead let Elle make Hurta fall again, Elle would have been DQ'd.

It seems like Elle gets shoved quite a bit in races.