Eric Gillis left off Canadian Olympic Team

So true.

The Guelph crew assumed Gillis was on the team. Bunch of cocky bastards.

You wonder why there's not more sympathy on this board. hahah

Sully missed the final by less that 1/4 second last year. Obviously that shows he still has the tools to mix it up at the World Level. He has made the semi-finals of every World Championship and Olympics he has competed in with the exception of one (Seville).You talk about his last 200m at Nationals (which was not good I must admit) but watch his last 200m from L.A. when he ran 3:35 and hanging with Willis and Lagat (and running away from everyone else). Or watch his last 300m at Stanford when he destroyed Symonds who went on to win the 800m @ USA's in 1:44.

"You wonder why there's not more sympathy on this board."

hmmm...so you're saying because the Guelph crew are a "bunch of cocky bastards," they don't get sympathy south of the border. Tell me this, how exactly do you connect these to each other? Does anyone in the US know a member of Speed River beyond Reid, Gillis, Milne, and Watson?

Here's where the supposed lack of sympathy comes from, plain and simple it is a US board and they have no reason to take a side of the fence. The same would go for a Windsor guy, a Victoria guy, and/or an East Coaster. So get off your high horse. hahah.

And to the dude (probably the same guy) saying this is another Windsor sticking it to Guelph...take a gander at who won nats...in either of the last 2 years, in track and/or xc, mens and/or women...yeah Windsor won 3 years in a row with some 25-27 yr olds against students, big deal.

When did i ever say we need to create a committee? I've read you past rants on this board and others and you construe the issue to the point that others get confused.

Again, I ask are you willing to make a bet on whether Sully makes the final? you should if believe he deserves to be there.

As i said earlier, all i am saying is the selection system is flawed. In the situation of sully, we are sending someone with little chance to make the final and finish top 12 and/or even medal. true he made the standards set in place. On the other end of things, Gillis doesn't deserve to be there either, because he doesn't have the potential to finish top 12 in 2008 or 2012. You even quoted me on this in one of your many responses, so i know you read it.

I fully support the subjective aspect and i think it should be applied to everyone, even those making A+ and A standard, not just rising stars.

If I take that bet will you reveal your identity to me? It'll be worth it win or lose... Thought so.

I will take a guess that ********** is journeyman from tnf.

Sully at the world champs. he hasn't been competitive since 2000.

missed the final (which is top 12 and the mandate of AC) in 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007.

1500 m

World juniors '92: 3rd 3:39.11

CommonwealthGames '94: 2nd 3:36.78

Worlds 95: 5th 3:36.73

Worlds 99: 11th in the heats 3:43.49

Sydney 00: 5th in the time trial final 3:35.50

Worlds 01: 9th in the semi 3:42.30

CommonwealthGames '02 7th 3:40.95

Worlds 03: 11th in his heat in the semi 3:42.33

Athens 04: 9th in his heat in the semi 3:42.86

Worlds 05: 7th in his heat in the semi 3:41.00

CommonwealthGames 7th 3:41.19

Worlds 07: 9th in his heat in his semi 3:41.27

He is a great ambassador of the sport, since he is going i would love to see him carry our flag, but layed out above are his past 7 years of world performances; historical evidence that he doesn't meet the mandate set forth by AC.

When you said that just because Sully made international A standards that he wasn't international A calibre.

"you need to send athletes that have the tools to do well in CHAMPIONSHIP meets. sully had those tools back in 1995 and 2000. he no longer has that kick. "

and

"We get far too caught up in standards. sully is just an example on the other side of things. as we speak today, i'd argue ellerton would have a better chance at making it past heat one at the game than sully, even through he is trained for the 800. you need speed and sully just doesn't have it anymore. "

If not a committee, then you are asking for one person to play god (maybe you're nominating yourself?) to make the decision on whether or not Sully has the tools or whether Ellerton has a better chance.

Your posting of Kevin's last seven years of championship experience suggests he has a better chance of advancing than anyone else Canada could send given that he's shown he can qualify for the big show in the first place. If you can't make the standards, you've got no chance of top 12.

Again, I ask what is the relevance to the issue up for discussion (the subjective nature of Rising Stars)? Going by repeat performance criteria designed to select people who have good chances of doing well at the Olympics, Sullivan has qualified handily. Sure, he's not guaranteed to make the final, but he's got a better chance as a 3:35 guy than a 3:37 guy (who therefore hasn't qualified).

Yes, I understand you think it is flawed. You want to replace objective repeat performance criteria with a subjective decision that some to-be-named individual (you don't want a committee apparently) makes. You've yet to explain how you expect that individual to make such decisions (and not just with Sully and the 1500, but all events).

So there we have it. You are plainly advocating for a subjective selection system but still have not provided a single bit of information as to how that system would work, who would do the selecting, on what basis they will make their decision and fundamentally, how this will somehow be better than make-this-fast-standard-and-you-get-to-go.

You really haven't thought this one through, have you? Just got a bone to pick with Sullivan?

Except that he continues to make the standard every year. Until that mandate is changed he makes teams. Troll!

Fact is no one gives a shit who you think deserves to go and who doesn't, no one cares if u think they will make a final or top 12, or if they ever were. I am going to go out on a limb and say that nobody gives a F@ck what u think about anything. The point of the olympics is to have different countries best athletes compete against each other. There is a fair even across the board standard, the IAAF standards, make that and come top 2 at your trials and u should go. Your ignorant comments on medals and top placings irrelevant. The olympics are about the athletes not some pathetic shitty runner like yourself that had and has no chance of ever going. We don't care what u think our sport is about. Plain and simple.

If this is true, then I have been reading some TNF remarks made by journeyman and figuring out who he is, IE, mountain running team co ordinator in the past.

I should have known that comments like the ones ****** and journeyman made came from this person.

You were a sad excuse for a marathoner and a pathetic excuse for a human being. A person with your shitty running talent and dispicable personality has no place commenting on hard working canadian athletes and definetley has no place being associated with any aspect of picking running team,s or dealing with other athletes. Come to terms with the fact that you never accomplished anything noteworthey with your pathetic attempts at running and that fact that you are a piece of SH$T individual. Deal with it a remedy it and maybe you can help yourself, But sir you need to help yourself before even thinking about commenting / interfering with others.

You are just such a sad sad individual. I know who you are .

I may just post that.

Let\'s face the facts:

Sully\'s naming to the team should not be questioned...he has earned it...with his capability and experience he has an excellent chance of making the finals..does he have the kick he did 5-10 years ago?..maybe not, but it does not matter given the tactical nature of most races...anything can happen...ask Webb.

Ellerton should definitely be on the team...anyone who is a NCAA D1 champion has proved capability at the highest level and can perform under pressure (Perdita not included, but she did make the finals in Athens)...he had some injury issues, but that is not an excuse...he would not have embarrassed the country and Canada would have maximized medal opportunities by sending 3 to the 800.

Gillis might have run a PR but would have bombed in the 10K...no fault of his, but that is reality on the world stage at that distance. Did he meet the rising star criteria?..yes, but AC left themselves an out and exercised it in this case...if Gillis was told about his status while standing in line to be measured for a uniform, that is inexcusable.

In the end, what do Canadian\'s want every 4 years? They are upset if no one represents Canada in any given event. They are equally upset if a Canadian is favored and under-performs (a la Perdita). They are most upset if someone bombs in a heat and tells Ron McClean they were there for the experience and had fun. Listen to Sully\'s remarks to McClean after the 1500 semi\'s in Athens...he has the right attitude.

the facts wrote:

Ellerton should definitely be on the team...

How do you figure? IAAF A standard is 1:46.00. Canada already has two A standards in Reed and Tadili, so Ellerton needed to have run faster than his 1:46.07 recorded earlier this year. Nothing to do with tougher AC selection criteria.

To say that Canadian's are upset when an athlete sits with Ron McLean and reports that they were there for the experience...it total crap.

I am not an elite athlete. Barely a recreation athlete, but a true fan of most runners who get out there every day for their passion. It is their job -- Thanks, I have my own.

I am disappointed to see no Canadians on the starting line for any Olympic events, and I have been watching them for probably longer than you have been alive (just guessing). I am upset when I don't see any Canadians on the startline. Sure it's nice if they win a Gold, Silver or Bronze.... but if they come fourth or fortieth is all the same to me... I am glad that Canada has sent their best, and has least even sent someone to wear our flags next to all of the other countries.

What do we tell our children when they ask why are there no Canadian's running? Because they aren't fast enough -- that's really teaching the Olympic spirit isn't it.

So to make assumptions about what Canadian's think - everyone should get out into the real world and talk to people working real jobs and you'll get your answers.... They want to see athletes in uniforms -- if they are our best, they should be there.

Gillis isn't our best. this wouldn't even be an issue if bairu and Coolsaet were running at their best.

If he is the best at the time -- then injury or not, he is the best that we have to send, and it should be his opportunity. I along with millions of other Canadians would still cheer for him, or Bairu or Coolsaet or Joe Blow.

An actual spectator wrote:

To say that Canadian's are upset when an athlete sits with Ron McLean and reports that they were there for the experience...it total crap.

I am not an elite athlete. Barely a recreation athlete, but a true fan of most runners who get out there every day for their passion. It is their job -- Thanks, I have my own.

I know you don't like it. I don't like it any more than you, but you have to realize that when it comes to the broad Canadian public that the Olympic sponsors are marketing to, we are in the minority.

You explicitly say you are "a true fan", so are not like the millions of other Canadians who only think of these sports every four years.

Whether it is absolutely true or not, the impression that the sponsors have is that most Canadians do perceive Canadian athletes who finish down in the standings as 'tourists'. Not saying that is right or wrong, just reality.

What the sponsors apparently prefer is a smaller team (for all sports, not just track) where they can have greater certainty that those who make the starting line will do well and make them look good in the eyes of the average ignorant fan (we, of course, are not so ignorant in this respect). This preference is expressed to the COC and then passed on down to the member federations, of which AC is just one.

I don't know there Asterix, saying he is a true fan, reads like he is not a once-per-four-year spectator.

I am closer to his position as a fan, although I do run as hard as I can as a recreational average guy. I can see his point of view - I guess it's a perspective thing.

I'd rather see Gillis come near last and have McLean or whoever explain (as they do) that Gillis was selected on his future potential, "so today at the Olympics, he may not finish very high, but this is a big step for the improving runner"...etc etc...you know the way they deliver all the hometown information, vignettes and small interviews and profiles.

I'd rather see that and watch him nervously run a 27:50 and come last than here, "there are no Canadian men running in the 10,000." - Like we heard during the World's in Osaka about three times.

Just one man's opinion though.

wetcoast wrote:

I don't know there Asterix, saying he is a true fan, reads like he is not a once-per-four-year spectator.

Exactly, he is not a once-per-four-year spectator, which is exactly what I wrote. Just like the rest of us on the board.

But that is not representative of the vast majority of the public. Wailing against evil AC or even the COC is not going to change that. Not saying you shouldn't do anything, just realize where efforts need to be focused to have any chance at success.