Breaking: Nick Willis DECLINES to Represent his Country in Doha!!

passive-aggressive drama wrote:

Bjfkn wrote:

He doesn’t meet the requirements. Then whines and whines to get in. Gets in then claims he 1 week into his break before Tokyo build up.

He a dope. His porn addiction mess up his brain. He won’t make Tokyo either

+1

So what if he's five pounds too heavy. So what if he's been drinking alcohol and smoking weed for a week. All of his crying and whining over the past few weeks, mainly by his entourage who have been posting here and advocating for Willis over the past few weeks. Willis needs to take himself to 2019 W.C., barely get out of first round of 1500m, and get his ass kicked in semi-final. Even if he had not gained five pounds, even if Willis had not been drinking and smoking weed, Willis still could not get out of semi-final, 1500m.

You are an idiot if you count Willis out of making the final if he didn't take that week off. Learn a little more about our sport.

It only takes 5 posts for the insults to start.

Jerkoff

I wonder why the IAAF informed him of their "final decision" and then later invited him? Did an athlete drop out?

Les wrote:

I wonder why the IAAF informed him of their "final decision" and then later invited him? Did an athlete drop out?

Although Willis stated, in his tweet of September 21, that IAAF had informed him of "the final decision" not to invite him, I don't believe that his statement was accurate. Willis appears to be referring to a "final decision" rejecting his (or his representatives') argument that, under the particular circumstances of his case, he should not have been displaced from the field by the inclusion of several "unqualified" athletes (that's the official term; someone on letsrun came up with the incorrect term "gift athletes"). Although IAAF's rejection of his argument may have been final, the list of entrants remained expressly provisional, and Willis remained eligible for an additional slot in the field that might open up as reports came in from national federations about invited athletes who would not be participating. When a slot for Willis opened up, he turned it down. He suggests in his tweet that his decision to decline the invitation may have been based, at least in part, on his earlier decision to start a training break at least a week before he received the invitation.

I haven't seen anything to indicate that IAAF's treatment of Willis in this matter was improper in any way, nor do I seriously question Willis's choice to begin his training break a week or more before entry lists were finalized or his subsequent decision to decline IAAF's invitation to participate in the world championships. I don't see any substantial basis for various assertions on this message board to the contrary.

Nope, IAAF stuffed up and invited loads more people. You don't invite another 130 off people declining invites.

What I think has happened is they have redone the invites based on the target field numbers and THEN allowed the unqualified athletes on top. So 1500m men, we have the top 45 ranked and then 4 unqualified.

Not sure if the then number 46 is invited in place of Willis as he would then become 45?

https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=9603092

bigwilly wrote:

Nope, IAAF stuffed up and invited loads more people. You don't invite another 130 off people declining invites.

What I think has happened is they have redone the invites based on the target field numbers and THEN allowed the unqualified athletes on top. So 1500m men, we have the top 45 ranked and then 4 unqualified.

No, that's incorrect. As I discussed in an earlier post, the unqualified athletes and the first three categories of qualifiers have priority over those athletes who qualify only by virtue of their position in the top performance lists. The selection process is quite clear about that:

Following the end of the qualification period, the IAAF shall assess the number of athletes having

qualified in accordance with § 1, 2 and 3 above, plus the unqualified athletes. In order to reach

the established ideal number of athletes by event, respecting the maximum quota by Member

Federation, the IAAF shall then identify the athletes qualified by virtue of their position in the top

performance lists.

The World Rankings will be used in case of ties to reach the target number of athletes in

events.

The IAAF shall, within 24 hours of the closing of the Qualification Period, notify the Member

Federations concerned by email to the official email address (

) and replies shall

be expected within 24 hours. Upon refusals or cancellations, the next eligible athlete will be

identified at the sole and exclusive discretion of the IAAF.

Willis failed to qualify in accordance with any of the first three qualification routes, did not satisfy the definition of an "unqualified athlete" in the event, and failed to make the initial 45-athlete field that included athletes who qualified by virtue of position in the top performance lists. "Upon refusals and cancellations," Willis was invited as one of the "next eligible athletes," but he declined.

Michiganrunner50 wrote:

That is like having a World Series with no playoffs or wild card. Understand that in championship tactical races anything can happen. Nick is a savvy racer and if he got into the final or semis or whatever his tactics are very good

This. He didn't accidentally get an Olympic silver (gold) and bronze. He may not be the fastest, but he's definitely one of the smartest. See also Jenny Simpson

Hey, we don't do well thought out posts here. Get out of here with your logic and sense!

But seriously, I do agree with you. Since Willis wasn't an automatic qualifier for the reasons you listed in a previous post, he rolled the dice and probably assumed that he won't get an entry. So he started his break early and then got the invite after starting it. I can't fault him for assuming that he wouldn't get in since he didn't post an outrageously fast time this season since he dabbed in the 5000 for so long.

The thing that does surprise me though is that the IAAF's new rules wouldn't have some sort of Diamond League type clause that would allow them to gather the top talent into their fields. So maybe Willis wasn't super fast this season, but he's a well established top talent so you would think they would want him in there to draw in more viewers. But, having a more objective set of rules is better overall.

TRAITOR!!!!!!

Seriously, I have no issue with him declining it, but I am hard pressed to think that those who go to Doha are going to be at a disadvantage when it comes to Tokyo. We have known the dates of Worlds and the Olympics for quite a while. The US coaches have been talking about how to adjust the training for well over a year. So that I think is a bull crap argument. He had shut it down (now IAAF screwing this up is a different story and nothing can be done now) and not wanting to try to get ready would be a challenge.

Here is one advantage of going: those athletes are going to get to test out their peaking/tapering and heat acclimation along with any things they might want to use in Tokyo to "beat the heat".

Ben L Wrong wrote:

WC's in late September/October, with Olympics next year, its a travesty.

Reminds me to 2003 WCs with people scared of new testing methods, suspended stars, new rules, etc...

I would argue having it in Doha is a travesty, but the time frame has been known for quite a while. Coaches and athletes will figure it out.

It makes me think of when the swimming finals in Beijing were switched to the morning (for US TV audiences) and some screamed about how horrible it was and how bad it would be. Well, plenty of world records were set and all the swimmers figured it out.

Bad Wigins wrote:

Only the top 12 athletes, at most, should compete in any WC or olympic event. Only the top 8 in 800 or below. No heats, no semis, no countries. If you didn't at least have a better than average season, you do not deserve a chance to be champion, period. Sports that aren't jokes understand this and save the title shots for a few candidates.

And yet I see lots of sports EXPANDING their fields. World Cup soccer enlarged its field. The playoffs in US sports have expanded as well (and many of those "last" teams in have gone quite far with a few even winning titles).

The field sizes now seem fine to me. The selection process however might leave a lot to be desired.

Michiganrunner50 wrote:

That is like having a World Series with no playoffs or wild card. Understand that in championship tactical races anything can happen. Nick is a savvy racer and if he got into the final or semis or whatever his tactics are very good

Until 1969, only 2 teams qualified for the post season in baseball. The National League champ and the American League champ met in the World Series. Baseball ended in early October. Baseball was the most popular US sport in those days too.

Coevett wrote:

I say good for Willis. He'll have an advantage over the rest for Tokyo, and Tokyo should be everything for him now. Just getting to Tokyo would be historic (fifth Olympics) and reaching the final would be incredible (fourth 1500m final) and cement his position as an all-time great.

He will not have an advantage in Tokyo. The idea that this schedule messes things up is bogus. Everyone has known this schedule for years. They will adjust training schedules and be fine.

Manzano and Centro kinda lend credence to the "anything can happen" idea. Butler in college basketball did 2 years in a row. Gonzaga did for a while (now it is a power just not in a "power" conference).

Access to the post season has been expanding and likely will keep expanding especially if sports add teams. The playoffs are cash cows.

Luv2Run wrote:

Coevett wrote:

I say good for Willis. He'll have an advantage over the rest for Tokyo, and Tokyo should be everything for him now. Just getting to Tokyo would be historic (fifth Olympics) and reaching the final would be incredible (fourth 1500m final) and cement his position as an all-time great.

He will not have an advantage in Tokyo. The idea that this schedule messes things up is bogus. Everyone has known this schedule for years. They will adjust training schedules and be fine.

Well Nick Willis himself is suggesting that it will be advantageous to miss Doha and not have to start his base building later in the season like the others. Maybe it will make 1/10th of a second difference come Tokyo, and maybe that will mean the difference between making the final or not.