We changed the title of the thread to make it more descriptive and less judgemental. The title was initially "Washed Hoare doesn't make Australian 1500m team."
Time to retire or move up? How has he performed so poorly since 2021 - gotten worse every season.
And no, I don't believe that western 1500 athletes peak at 24 (his sole global final) - he ran 3:29 at 26 (2023) but got hurt yet again...nor do I believe "mental health" is a legitimate reason either - NFL players are targeted FAR more when they perform poorly but don't let it affect them
I looked into this last week as there was a big thread on who might get selected. Here is what I wrote in that thread:
Thank God the US doesn't have this problem. The Aussie's should run a trial race - it would be great drama. We need more races with meaning.
Hoare hasn' trun faster than 3:33.8 (fom his 3:50.95 mille) since early June. He's 28. Thomas is 5 years younger and has been running 3:32 consistently all summer. If they raced right now, I have little doubt Thomas would take him.
Does that mean Thomas deserves to go? Not necessarily. Hoare killed him at their champs and has a faster seasonal best.
Are you picking for the future or rewarding for early season success? Just a terrible system. There is no right answer.
The Aussie system is a joke. Does anyone know what the selection document actually says?
Doesn’t he have the second quickest time? How on earth do they select the Aus team?
They select it by recent form, and Jude Thomas has been running pretty well of late (a slew of 3:32s, a 3:50 and decent placings). He also went under 3:32 in Germany today for a runner-up performance, so he seems to be on the upswing. Olli for better or for worse has put himself into stacked DL fields with poor results, did OK at Sir Walter Miler, but then bombed in the race vs. Nordas and Hakon Moe Berg.
Ollie ran 3:47 / 3:29 and won a tough comm games before bi-carb and on old school, not double threshold training.
He won the London DL and got maybe 6 top 3’s in stacked races including DL finals.
He legit ‘made it’ to almost the top of the sport. Next step was global medals.
This new wave has knocked him. Some injuries, self confidence issues and burnt out.
Rojo you love to mock him because he never progressed to getting medals like Kerr has. Plus some clear animosity from whatever happened between LRC and the swoosh during the Alberto days.
Rojo (ironically like Ritz?!) doesn’t realize it is absolutely brutal at the top of world 1500m racing!!
Finally the setup at OAC has been bad for a while. Ritz hasn’t adapted to more modern ways to get very fit. Endless specific work has worn these guys and girls down. The competition has surpassed the OAC boulder. OAC Europe the JV squad are showing them up!
All of the below should be making world finals.. not sat at home. Ollie, Yared, Mario, Morgan, Klecker, Monson, Markzevic, Sinta, Ramsden, Jacobs. That’s down to setup and coaching. The talent is there.. everyone of them has won an ncaa title (minus klecker who got robbed during Covid).
From the OAC team, Josette made it to worlds. Am I missing anyone else or is she the only one?
Beamish
To Geordie's good fortune, he runs the steeple, and is from NZ. He can make the team each year despite having little to show for it due to constant injury. And that's not a criticism, that is strategic.
This post was edited 14 minutes after it was posted.
The biggest issue for Olli is he’s not managed by Nic Bideau
100% because if only one variable was reversed - that being Bideau (via Collis Birmingham) managing Hoare and Ray Flynn managing Thomas, then Hoare would have basically locked into the team after nationals and would have had to have been injured to have not been picked (because a euro season running 3.31.15 plus two mile races under 3.51 would have been more than enough).
And the reality that this situation exists is extremely problematic.
No mention of recent form and more focus on past championship performances. Hoare is the reigning Commonwealth Games gold medalist...
4.11.4 Where more than three athletes are eligible, the Selection Committee will consider the following factors in no particular order of priority: 4.11.4.1 Likelihood of a top-8 finish. 4.11.4.2 Whether an athlete qualified via performance standard or ranking. 4.11.4.3 Demonstrate high-level performance throughout the Qualification Period. 4.11.4.4 Proven ability to peak at major championships. 4.11.4.5 Proven ability to meet or exceed qualification-level performances during international competitions. 4.11.4.6 Participation in the 2025 Australian Track and Field Championships and the Summer Series (as defined) in their relevant event(s). 4.11.4.7 Any additional factors deemed relevant by the Selection Committee in consultation with the National Federation General Manger – High Performance.
No mention of recent form and more focus on past championship performances. Hoare is the reigning Commonwealth Games gold medalist...
4.11.4 Where more than three athletes are eligible, the Selection Committee will consider the following factors in no particular order of priority: 4.11.4.1 Likelihood of a top-8 finish. 4.11.4.2 Whether an athlete qualified via performance standard or ranking. 4.11.4.3 Demonstrate high-level performance throughout the Qualification Period. 4.11.4.4 Proven ability to peak at major championships. 4.11.4.5 Proven ability to meet or exceed qualification-level performances during international competitions. 4.11.4.6 Participation in the 2025 Australian Track and Field Championships and the Summer Series (as defined) in their relevant event(s). 4.11.4.7 Any additional factors deemed relevant by the Selection Committee in consultation with the National Federation General Manger – High Performance.
Is there any mechanism for this to change? We (I assume) are just jaded followers of the sport. Would be great if someone with a degree of power/sway agitated for the selection policies to be overhauled and simplified. This has happened so many times.
I hope Ollie is able to speak freely about this on his pod.