| wejo co-founder |
| ||
|
A guy who knows a good amount about track and field wrote me confused about the Olympic Trials "A" standard that German Fernandez ran yesterday. I figure if he doesn't know what the difference between the Trials "A" standard and the Olympic "A" standard than a lot of you don't either. The Olympic "A" standard is what we talk about most on LetsRun.com. It's the time you must have run if your country wants to send more than 1 person to the Olympics in an event. So for most events in the US, it's the time you need to run before the end of the Olympic Trials if you want to go to the Olympics. So to go to the Olympics, an athlete needs to have the Olympic "A" standard and finish as one of the top 3 with the "A" standard at the Trials. (For 80-90% of the events this means finish in the top 3 at the Trials as the top people all will have the "A" standard). The Olympic "A" standard for 1500m is 3:35.50. Fernandez has not run this. There also is the Olympic Trials "A" standard. It's a time that if you run it no matter what you are into the Olympic Trials. For the 1500m this time is 3:39.00. This is what Fernandez ran under yesterday. As of today 34 guys have run 3:39.00 or better. Not all of them will run the 1500 at the Trials but USATF wants 30 guys in the field so likely 3:39.00 will be the cutoff for the Trials. Fernandez run was pretty clutch. The night before he ran 3:39.63 which likely wouldn't have got him in the Trials. Yesterday was the final day to qualify for the Olympic Trails. So German came back a day later and ran 3:37.76. |
| Mr. Obvious |
| ||
|
Before anybody asks, No, you cannot chase the standard after the Trials. |
| My man! |
| ||
|
So the question now becomes if those who have the OT standard, but not the OLY standard, do they plan on just making it into the finals, see who's left that needs it, and hopefully work together? Look at Sir G. Jennings 4 years ago, ran like a champ and still it didn't happen. Uphill battle you could say. |
| run_runner |
| ||
|
So countries that don't have anyone at the A standard can still send one person per event? Am i reading that wrong? This is something i did not know, so thanks wejo. "It's the time you must have run if your country wants to send more than 1 person to the Olympics in an event." quote] |
| Consider This |
| ||
I'll bet you've seen guys running like 11 seconds in the early rounds of the 100 and wondered how they got there. Now you know! |
| Mr. Obvious |
| ||
Countries can send one competitor per event if that competitor has met the Olympic B standard. If a country has no athletes who have met the B standard in any Track and Field event they are allowed to enter one athlete in a Track and Field event (subject to certain restrictions.) |
| Quenton Cassidamius |
| ||
|
There is a B standard and countries who do not have any A standard athletes may send one athlete with the B standard. For the 1500 it is 3:38.00 |
| weary ramblers bones |
| ||
The marathon seems to be a popular event for this. There's always some guy from the Seychelles or Bhutan or whatever lining up with a 2:55 PR. |
| wejo co-founder |
| ||
|
I almost didn't post this thread but the fact it's #1 on letsrun.com right now means I'm glad I did. I'm adding it to the homepage. |
| big787 |
| ||
Happy for you. |
| Mr. Obvious |
| ||
Here's the rule, just for clarification: a. NOCs for which no male or no female athlete has reached the required qualification standard will be allowed to enter their best male athlete and their best female athlete in one athletic event each, with the exception of the Combined Events, 10,000m and 3000m Steeplechase. So, one male and one female athlete. Federation can enter a female athlete even if they had males meet the qualifying standard and vice versa. Field event entries are at the discretion of the technical committee (which may be one reason running events are preferred?) |
| Break the red tape for me |
| ||
|
Why can't a country send a squad consisting of one or two A qualifiers and one B qualifier? Does the US have a policy against sending anyone with the B if there is someone else with the A? Or is that the rule? |
| Mr. Obvious |
| ||
NOCs may enter up to three athletes for each event on the athletics program, provided they have achieved the A standard. In addition they can enter one reserve athlete for the same event provided he/she has also achieved the A standard. NOCs may enter one athlete for each event on the athletics program if he/she has achieved at least the B standard. In addition they can enter one reserve athlete for the same event provided he/she has also achieved at least the B standard. |
| xxxx |
| ||
|
http://trackfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/OlympicConfusion4.jpg This explains the US process for Olympic selection for A and B standards at the trials. |
| My man! |
| ||
|
So the question now becomes if those who have the OT standard, but not the OLY standard, do they plan on just making it into the finals, see who's left that needs it, and hopefully work together? Look at Sir G. Jennings 4 years ago, ran like a champ and still it didn't happen. Uphill battle you could say. |
| jaswk |
| ||
|
Discussion of how only sending runners with the A standard (if there are 3 or more athletes who start the trials with an A in an event) and no Post-Trials standard chasing effects the 1500 tactics: http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4635189 |
| yogibear |
| ||
Yes, you can. In 2004 Suzy Favor Hamilton had the Olympic A standard, and nobody else had even the B. Suzy sits out the Olympic trials thinking her A gets her in. She's right, as long as nobody gets a B, or somebody gets an A. Carrie Tollefson wins the trials (Toomey 2nd, Rudolph 3rd). Tollefson then goes to Europe to chase the B standard. She gets it (4:06.30 in Belgium) which punches her ticket to Athens, and bumps Suzy. Tollefson (and Toomey and Rudolph) never get the A, so Suzy stays home. |
| Some Help |
| ||
|
Olympic Trials standards http://www.usatf.org/events/2012/OlympicTrials-TF/entry/qualifyingStandards.asp Status of entries for US athletes in the trials http://www.usatf.org/events/2012/OlympicTrials-TF/entry/status.asp Olympic A and B standards http://www.usatf.org/events/2012/OlympicGames/entry/qualifyingStandards.asp About a month old but gives you an idea of which US athletes have the Olympic "A" for 1500, 3000SC, 5000, & 10,000. http://olympictrials.runnersworld.com/2012/05/22/a-standard-key-to-getting-to-london/ |
| quality will be here |
| ||
|
That was then, this is now. There is no chasing the standard. Olympians are named at the conclusion of each event at the trials in 2012. a "B" standard athlete can not go in any event that has 2 or more "A" standard athletes in the event. The goal is to send as many athletes as possible in each event. |
| Trollist |
| ||
|
That rule changes every Olympic year. |