Canadians, How do you pick your world champ team?

This was on your front page. Coolsaet talks about the 5k standards.

Thread already explaining a few things here:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=2047878

and here:

http://tnfnorth.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1182818658&page=2

Actual criteria here:

http://athletics.ca/files//NationalTeamPrograms/Events/2007/2007WORLDCHAMPIONSHIPSSELECTIONCRITERIAFINALREVISEDEN1.PDF

"Select individual athletes capable of finishing in the top 16 and top ½ of the field, and Relay team capable of finishing in the top 8 and top ½ of the field at the IAAF World Championships."

Same way they pick their coaches; Rotation system.

The standards for the marathoners both female and male are messed up too, both way faster than the iaaf standard.

In Canada we prefer to send support staff over athletes. As such we make our standards really, really hard in order to free up athlete spots for spare assistant coaches, women's coaching development fellowships, massage therapists, acupuncturists, witch doctors and the like.

Canada sets the standards for athletes too high but let the standrds take a nose dive when choosing staff, many of these people are not needed and many are incompetent.

Tell me specifically how many of these redundant support bugs

are sent, who they are and how much money each of them were

budgeted to cost. I hope that you are just being cynical and

voicing your statement based on that; if what you, and others,

say is true, shame shame shame. AND/BUT; if it is true! Why is nobody writing and critiquing this selfish and non productive piece ofartwork?

Please substantiate your statement; "In Canada we prefer to send support staff over athletes"; with facts; if there are

any facts and if you have enough balls.

From the athletics Canada website: 28 athletes, 16 staff:

Team Staff

Les Gramantik

Head Coach

Calgary, AB

Derek Evely

Event Coach

Edmonton, AB

Brent Fougner

Event Coach

Victoria, BC

Glenroy Gilbert

Event Coach

Ottawa, ON

Rick Reelie

Event Coach

Saskatoon, SK

Martin Goulet

Team Leader

Brossard, QC

Sylvia Forgrave

Team Manager

Kitchener, ON

Scott MacDonald

Technical Manager

Nepean, ON

Jean-Guy Ouellette

Head of Delegation

Sherbrooke, QC

Joanne Mortimore

Chief Executive Officer

Ottawa, ON

Mathieu Gentès

Media Attaché

Ottawa, ON

Dr. Alan Vernec

Physician

Montréal, QC

Julie Gardiner

Physiotherapist

Montréal, QC

Garfield Crooks

Massage therapist

Brampton, ON

Alvin Bodnarchuk

Massage therapist

Saskatoon, SK

Wilbour Kelsick

Chiropractor

Port Moody, BC

I can see having four events coaches (throws, jumps, sprints, distance), and I know many of these coaches personally. They are competent and have their coaching levels etc so I think they definitely deserve to go. Head Coach, Team Leader, Team Manager, Technical Manager, Media Attache, Head of Delegation, CEO - that's 7 support positions. You can't tell me there isn't some major overlap between these positions. Even looking at the medical support staff, I'd say that sending a chiropractor and a physiotherapist is pretty redundant due to their overlap of practice. Also two massage therapists is also redundant since the physiotherapist/chiropractor should be more than capable of doing adequate massage previous to a competition. By my count this team probably has 5 support staff more than is needed. Kick them out and add 5 more athletes please.

The standards created by Athletics Canada are way too high. They have created unreasonably difficult standards for many years - without any evidence of success. This approach is completely misguided. They should lower the standards and allow more Canadian athletes to participate.

It seems that Athletics Canada cares more about the support staff than the athletes. A distance coach? Canada doesn't even have a male or female runner in the 5000. There is not one Canadian women in the 10000. There is not one Canadian man in the marathon. There are a grand total of two Canadian athletes in the distance events (anything over 1500m.). By the way, most athletes at this level don't need a new "coach" once they reach the WC. The training is behind them and their real coaches will have provided them with the guidance they require. It must be a carefree trip for many of the support staff.

[quote]SomeGuy wrote:

Even looking at the medical support staff, I'd say that sending a chiropractor and a physiotherapist is pretty redundant due to their overlap of practice. Also two massage therapists is also redundant since the physiotherapist/chiropractor should be more than capable of doing adequate massage previous to a competition.

Never travelled on a national team, eh? Your ignorance is glaring to any who have travelled to a Worlds or Olympics and waited in line for the sprinters' twice daily "shaky shaky" massage, daily adjustment and time on the table with a physio.

These world class therapists earn their keep. They are working 15-16 hours a day at the village and at the track. Say what you will about the others, but don't even THINK about slagging AC for bringing the medical staff. These folk are exceptional!!

Tomato wrote:

[quote]SomeGuy wrote:

Even looking at the medical support staff, I'd say that sending a chiropractor and a physiotherapist is pretty redundant due to their overlap of practice. Also two massage therapists is also redundant since the physiotherapist/chiropractor should be more than capable of doing adequate massage previous to a competition.

Never travelled on a national team, eh? Your ignorance is glaring to any who have travelled to a Worlds or Olympics and waited in line for the sprinters' twice daily "shaky shaky" massage, daily adjustment and time on the table with a physio.

These world class therapists earn their keep. They are working 15-16 hours a day at the village and at the track. Say what you will about the others, but don't even THINK about slagging AC for bringing the medical staff. These folk are exceptional!!

Absolutely, I recall two chiropractors and two massage therapists on our team, as you say they were working full time at the track, they're the most valuable members of the team.

As far as standards are concerned, I like the approach AC takes. They use the IAAF "A" (or something close to it) as the auto entry. The IAAF "B" standards are soft, and some of our athletes think as long as they can perform to that level, they should be going the Osaka.

Many countries can use the IAAF standards for selection purposes because they KNOW that SEVERAL of their athletes will be MUCH better than those standards. They run their trials and pick their top 3, all of whom are well within the IAAF "A".

In Canada, we have athletes in some events who want to use the IAAF "B" standard because no one can come close the "A". Check out our dismal mens marathon rankings. If you're struggling just to reach the "B", maybe the premier athletics event in the world isn't where you should be. Try gaining experience in more National, North American or European meets. Getting blown out of the water at Worlds or Olympics isn't going to teach you anything you didn't already know about your athletic abilities.

Brent coaches both Dianna and Achraf...and has told me he is missing his vacation with his family to go to World's...anyone who know's Brent will tell you this is a big deal...Glenroy is the relay coach...Derek works (somewhat) with Kevin Tyler and Tyler Christopher...our best chance at an individual medal...Rick Reelie is the wheelchair coach...and I think that's it...not exactly the carefree trip expressed...I'll give anyone $100 who can tell me why that waste of skin Goulet is going...and I'm not sure about most of the other staff with "important" titles behind their names...but 5-6 coaches is quite standard.

Oh rojo, what have you done? :)

What was listed is the OFFICIAL delegation. What is not listed are the flacks from Athletics Canada who go, just like at the last Olympics.

Here is another article by a Canadian athlete about this situation

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/sports/story.html?id=a398e228-8311-4e39-8778-380965b863b0

I am not a pro athlete, I have followed and supported the sport as a volunteer for many years. It is my feeling that Athletics Canada will always look for ways not to send an athlete than for ways to get the athlete into competition.

In Canada we prefer to send support staff over athletes. As such we make our standards really, really hard in order to free up athlete spots for spare assistant coaches, women's coaching development fellowships, massage therapists, acupuncturists, witch doctors and the like.

Why would Brent plan holidays when the worlds were decided long ago? Thats stupid.

Can't plan?

It's a joke with the amount of coaches they bring along with staff.In reality all they need is one so called coach with a Doctor/trainer.The athletes on the team all have their own coaches and if they need a Doctor/trainer in order to compete they should stay home.I was once on a Canadian National team and all the staff did was drink/party and bop the local Pro.Athletics Canada is a joke!

Oh Canada wrote:

all the staff did was drink/party and bop the local Pro.Athletics Canada is a joke!

what does bop the local pro mean?