WA finally gets it right: no more little q's in mid-d events

I’m with you but there will be some nutters here in staunch disagreement. I once read a poster argue there should be no big Qs in the 1500m. Still makes me laugh.

I, for one, look forward to watching them jog for a few laps at the start of every race.

Couldn't care less. It's championship racing, first across the line is what matters. In the 1500, it will still be fast - do you think people like Jakob, Tim, and McSweyn are going to let it come down to a kick, even in the heats?

Interesting that it won't apply to 800m so presumably they stick with 3x2+ 2qs there.

It would be funny to see like a 15-16 minute 5K with a 48 second closing lap. Guys just having casual conversations for 11 laps and then going from tempo pace to a full sprint

... and now they've guaranteed that most prelims will go out super slow now. Not a fan of this rule change.

Centro's gonna get gold in Paris!!!!

this is an incredibly DUMB decision. It will result in the semis being run at a pedestrian pace.

Who is more deserving for the final - the guy who ran 3:32 for 7th in his semi or the guy who ran 3:58 for 6th in his semi?

the guy who got 6th in 3:58. This is racing

The purpose of time qualifiers is that there may be heats with more talented runners in them.

Well if this whack-job isn't a fan, I think it's safe to say most of the world will like the change!

Exactly.

I think because there are only 8 in each heat and typically there are 3 semi's in the 800.

There have been 3 in the 1500. That would mean top 4.

Ya it should only be the 400 and down that has time qualifiers. Those are the events where everyone is in their own lane going 100% doing their own thing. In the 800 and up there are tactics, drafting, other things that drastically change the results of the race. It should all be about racing and finishing high in your heat. But you have to make sure that you seed the heats appropriately if you're going to take away small q's.

But, the heat with more talented runners does not always run faster.

After so many runners will have stumbled over each other because of jogging pace first laps and because of "fairness advancement" we'll have had a few finales with 20 because of the falls, they'll probably return to the older rule that seemed to work well most of the time.

I would love to see a 9 man 800m final, with 3x3 qualifiers

Love this decision. People are way too obsessed with time. Time trials where the outcome is more or less known aren’t very exciting. Tactical races are exciting.

Why would anyone care that the prelims are slow? If you want the final to be fast, wouldn't you want the athletes to be fresh and not running all out in the prelims? Not incentivizing fast races via time-placement makes for better finals with fresher athletes. I think some heats will still be faster than others based on the strategies of the athletes involved, but at least there will be more semblance of consistency as there won't be those jokers who know they can't make it in on placement, so they take it out super quick in hopes of fading to a fast time.