Ky Robinson/Stanford Named to Aussie World XC Team

Important to mention he was a discretionary pick over Jackson Sharp from Wisconsin who raced the trials and came 6th whilst Ky didn't race the trials and returned to the US to run indoors.

Why is it important to mention? Unless you're a Stanford or Ky hater....

does the aussie process allow for discretionary picks, or do they mandate top 6 across the line and they made an exception here. If it is the former, this is the definition of a non-story, if it is the latter than it is a bigger deal.

From reading the press release, it seems to imply that it is top 3 across the line and 3 picks, but it doesnt spell that out explicitly. If that is accurate, than there is nothing wrong with robinson being picked over sharp if he is fit and ready to run (which results indicate he is).

On a different note, that is an impressive 4x2k team.

Robinson is a sensation on the track. If he continues his current trajectory and gets better rather than stagnate he'll make the Olympics for Oz too

They definitely should have selected Sharp, anyone who saw him flying up the hill at Stromlo can see he was built for the hilly course at Bathurst.

Regardless, Sharp committed to race the trial and only 16sec separated the Top 6. Pick the true blue Aussie, not the kid who preferred to go and race an indoor mile.

Ky was 7th/29:07, Jackson was 16th/29:16, at NCAA Champs . . . likely why Ky was chosen . . .

Ky is excellent, 9sec is nothing, college ain't world, it means jack s*#t

* correction Ky was 10th on a course much flatter and lower altitude than Mt Panorama, Bathurst. As usual Athletics Australia pooped it’s pants on this selection. Perform at the trial or miss out, simple really.

If he wanted a spot he should have placed better. He was 6th (I don't care what the seperation was)

This isn't like the Abby Caldwell situation, where they dropped the national champion (that was insane). While I'm skeptical of anything Australia does after that wacko move, this is fine.

Sharp is a non-scoring runner. The rules clearly top 3 get automatic spots. Australia has a right to use a discresionary pick on a top prospect if the rules allow them to do so. While I understand this is a judgement call, and you may think they may have made the wrong decision, this is life. It is a totally defensible decision. Sharp lost head to head with Ky, even if the course might be anything like bathurst .

How'd you go Matthew XCountry, must have won given your big talk?

It's defensible if you don't have the foresight to understand the can of worms they've opened for no obvious reason.

what can of worms? there are three auto selections from the trials and 3 discretionary spots.

Giving discretionary power to people with God syndrome justifying their positions.

Robinson recently ran a 13.11 5k Sharp has a best of 13.33. I think they may feel that Robinson is a better long term investment.

Yes, and only 9sec different on a relatively flat course compared to Bathurst, what does that tell you?

The correct answer is, that spot needed to be decided by the trial.

Are we saying the OK state course is relatively flat compared to the bathurst world xc course?

For athletes where the team trials are inconveniently located or timed, they are allowed to request a waiver. Most federations consider their recent demonstrated form (ie. Keith Hoare is the current commonwealth games 1500 champ and performed well over a 8k cross course recently). Ky Robinson has been competing in indoors and going to school at stanford. It is reasonable to assume he doesn't want to make two trips to Australia so he applied for a waiver from team trials and left the choice up to the federation. All the runners in the team trials knew what place guaranteed a spot on the team. Sharp is still a strong prospect, I'm sure he has already got back to work to have a good track season and prove the federation wrong. He has better things to do than sit around and complain about losing a spot on the team to someone who is currently demonstrably faster other than to wish he had another chance to race Robinson head to head.

I was honestly pretty bummed for Sharpe, but you make good points. A tough decision for sure. Jackson took a chance in staying home from the holidays in hopes of nailing down a spot. He took 6th. To some degree they're both fortunate that Tiernan didn't put in for a selection I suppose. Either way, both Sharpe and Ky are trending up nicely in the NCAA system.

Bathurst course is nothing like Oklahoma in terms of surface, elevation, climbs and descents. It's a very tough course on a Mountain.

Travel is a moot point, they're both at school in US, both were in Australia before the trial, one stayed for the trial, the other prioritised returning to the US for an indoor mile.

You would benefit from critical thinking while listening to Morgan and Ollie pushing their American based agenda.

Ky was in Australia, said he wasn't interested in World XC, flew back to America, then changed his mind.

There's some dross being posted here.

The Bathurst course is not anywhere near as tough as people are saying. I raced on it a couple of months ago at the NSW Regional XC Champs which was the official test event. The course doesn't go up Mount Panorama, it's simply set within the Mount Panorama race track.

It's a really nice course but let's not act like it's like Pikes Peak or UTMB. It's like Terra Haute but more technical in terms of the turns. Nothing crazy.