a universality spot is when you let worse athletes from some countries take the spot of better athletes from others so you have a globally balanced competition
The US marathoners explain the principle well.
Only one of the 6 from the trials is actually in the top 80 globally, but they all get a run at the olympics anyway
This post was edited 31 seconds after it was posted.
The only meaningful petition would be the one to force them to go to race in fast courses and not be too slow. After all, 70 guys are still inside the Olympic marathon after the universality spots have been awarded, so no problem: run faster and you get your spot.
2:08/2:09 marathoners shouldn't be missing out on their Olympic dream because of charity cases. If World Athletics/the IOC want to make sure even the countries that suck can send someone, then that's a nice gesture. But it shouldn't come at the expense of actual elite athletes. They should be giving these universality athletes "wildcard" spots that are added onto the field as extras, not taking away from the original spots.
That's like stating U.S. 20.1 or 20.2 200m guys deserve to go to 2024 Olympic. Your post was silly.
Thanks and I agree they are silly. Nothing wrong with letting each country send their best 3, the Olympics are about each country sending representatives, but there should be a minimum standard everyone has to meet to go. That is every sport, not just running.
There should be a minimum time swimmers need to hit, rowers, ability of team sports, etc.
The only meaningful petition would be the one to force them to go to race in fast courses and not be too slow. After all, 70 guys are still inside the Olympic marathon after the universality spots have been awarded, so no problem: run faster and you get your spot.
2:08/2:09 marathoners shouldn't be missing out on their Olympic dream because of charity cases. If World Athletics/the IOC want to make sure even the countries that suck can send someone, then that's a nice gesture. But it shouldn't come at the expense of actual elite athletes. They should be giving these universality athletes "wildcard" spots that are added onto the field as extras, not taking away from the original spots.
All charity cases (except four of them) are faster than Korir, who is the 286th fastest marathoner in the world in 2023 (and the 10th fastest guy named Korir in the world in 2023).
And to be honest, the 286th guy in the world is like 10"25 for 100 m, 3'39" for 1500 and 13'30" for 5000 (I don't recall the exact marks, they were in the older longer thread about universality spots). So really, all guys with these times have no business being in the Olympic Games, and infact most of them belong to dudes that are not even truly professional athletes...
I think it's the places where the country has no other athletes that qualify for the Olympics, so they are allowed one or two athletes. You see them running 17 seconds in the 100m etc.
Surely any country can find someone who can run faster then 17 seconds for 100.
The only meaningful petition would be the one to force them to go to race in fast courses and not be too slow. After all, 70 guys are still inside the Olympic marathon after the universality spots have been awarded, so no problem: run faster and you get your spot.
2:08/2:09 marathoners shouldn't be missing out on their Olympic dream because of charity cases. If World Athletics/the IOC want to make sure even the countries that suck can send someone, then that's a nice gesture. But it shouldn't come at the expense of actual elite athletes. They should be giving these universality athletes "wildcard" spots that are added onto the field as extras, not taking away from the original spots.
Very rich calling athletes charity cases when at the same time talking about 2:08 to 2:09 marathon runners like they deserve the olympics when in reality there are like 100 Kenyans ahead of them.
2:08/2:09 marathoners shouldn't be missing out on their Olympic dream because of charity cases. If World Athletics/the IOC want to make sure even the countries that suck can send someone, then that's a nice gesture. But it shouldn't come at the expense of actual elite athletes. They should be giving these universality athletes "wildcard" spots that are added onto the field as extras, not taking away from the original spots.
the 2:08 marathoners are charity cases.
They are not even close to the best in the world and are already effectively universality cases, based on arbitrary rules to limit athletes per nation and maximise diversity.
208/209 is around 300th in the world
typical american taking charity yourself and then complaining about charity to others
Not the same thing at all. The IOC/World Athletics sets a limit of three athletes per country. If you want to see races without these restrictions (so more runners from Kenya and Ethiopia) that's what the London Marathon is for. At the Olympics, countries get to send their best three. How fast Kenya's 4th man might be isn't relevant.
Based on the rules, the US had three runners legitimately qualified in the top 80, not on charity. But the charity athletes took one of those spots away. Also, a 2:08 runner might not be in contention for a medal, but on the right day could finish in the top-15. The same cannot be said for a 2:21 marathoner.
Please don't try to muddle the argument with your anti-American BS. This is not just an American issue. One US marathoner was displaced, but 10 men were affected. A 2:08 man from Chile doesn't get to go. Chile! Chile sent two men to the Tokyo Olympics in Track and Field ...so they are barely represented as is. We shouldn't be taking away his spot so that a 2:17 marathoner can go.
All charity cases (except four of them) are faster than Korir, who is the 286th fastest marathoner in the world in 2023 (and the 10th fastest guy named Korir in the world in 2023).
#nocharityforLenny
Fake news. Only one of the 11 universality athletes ran faster than Leonard Korir during the qualifying window. Four of the universality athletes only ran in the 2:17-2:21 range and another one has never ran a marathon at all. So on his own merit, Korir should go ahead of ten of those guys.
And besides that, the US had three runners in the top-80. Korir just took CJ Albertson's spot because he beat him at the Trials. Like I said to the other guy, how fast Kenya's 4th or 100th man ran isn't relevant because each country only gets to send three. "bUt KoRiR wAs 286th iN 2023 wHeN yOu cOuNt aLL tHe kEnYanS aNd etHiOpiANs!?!" Okay so what? A bunch of these universality athletes would barely be among the top 286 American marathoners and they're not even ranked top 1000 in the world.
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