From a US standpoint - if you're OK with losing a solid gold or silver medal to your country's chances, then stick by the "first three at the trials" rules without complaint. But if you rue the fact that one fraction of a second of carelessness has cost you a guaranteed medal, and probably a gold, surely you should think about changing it and adding a little discretion for the third spot on an Olympic team.
From a British standpoint - great, you've removed one of the potential barriers to Keely Hodgkinson winning a gold. When she does, no-one over here will care that she's won it without being tested by her biggest rival.
From a non-British, non-US standpoint - the sport has lost the prospect of a scintillating w800m event because the US has an inflexible and frankly stupid policy which has got in the way of the two or three best in the world going head to head at the most important athletics meeting in the four year cycle. You absolute bell-ends.
Why do people keep saying Athing was the favorite for the gold medal? Are we forgetting that Keely (and Moraa, obviously) actually ran her down last year at World's?
Hodgkinson opened her season with a 1:55.78. She figured out her Moraa issue and is probably ready to run 1:54 in Paris, depending on if the conditions are favorable. Athing's heat and semi didn't even suggest she was in 1:56 (or 1:57:low) shape, especially when you consider she's coming back from a hamstring injury and that she's lacking race sharpness.
This is the correct take. The US is sending the 2023 US indoor and outdoor champion (Akins), the 2024 US indoor champion (Wilson), and the 2024 NCAA indoor and outdoor champion (Whittaker) to the Olympics. This is a good team. 2021 Athing Mu would have beaten everyone handily but this is not 2021 and we have not seen that version of Athing Mu since last September at Pre. If Athing had been running sub-1:57s and dominating her competition earlier in 2024, I could maybe see an argument for USATF selecting her, but that wasn't the case. Given her hamstring injury and her performance during the heats and semis, I'm not sure she would have made the team even without the fall. It sucks for her but there is too much depth in the US women's 800m.
Add Mu to the 1500 heats. Also add her to the 4 x 4 relay pool for Paris. Officials should have this latitude given the extenuating circumstances of the 800.
what extenuating circumstances? Running like an idiot? That's her fault.
That's WCs. I think it'd make sense for the previous champ to qualify if they made standard, which is a stiff enough requirement in most cases, But that's not how it's done.
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