The official announcement includes 4 women named to the team whilst an appeal is resolved - someone out of Rose Davies, Linden Hall, Georgia Griffith and Lauren Ryan is going to be cut. Wonder who appealed / what happened?
Griffith came 2nd at the Australian champs, which their vague selection policy seems to favour (when it suits them). Jess Hull, who won, isn't running the 5000m. Linden came 4th and Lauren didn't run them. But she's got the 3rd best time during the qualifying period, so agree she should have the edge over Hall.
Honestly I swear that Athletics Australia and it's team selectors live for this drama. It's actually a situation where they want all these appeals and infighting over who makes it and who doesn't. A bunch of now irrelevant old white men with very little to do in life except live for the "excitement" of a team selection drama.
What else can it possibly be? EVERY team selection this happens. "Someone is appealing" "CAS is being involved" "Bideau pulled strings" - every time.
Yeah we all get it - selecting a team based off the National championships which because of the geographical location have to be usually 6 or so months before a major event doesn't seem smart. "What about current form, injuries" - okay sure. But you are telling me that in all the free time that these guys have, over all these years, nobody has been able to come up with a fair and equitable solution that gives even a remote semblance of transparency to athletes, it's all just "at selectors discretion"? Everything will be "taken into account by the selection committee?"
That's all you got? A system that at a point becomes totally unobjective in the sense it can be influenced by outside parties (which we know it does)? They say the national championships is still the most important qualification event but it's clearly not because if you have the qualifying standard then it's essentially meaningless. Then you might ask yourself why you would bother getting race fit for the nationals and even racing them if it's really your form in August that matters - but if you don't race the nationals you basically can't be selected. All these active paradoxical situations at play and you then expect athletes to show up in these major events in their best form? Take Jude Thomas - cool he's on the team now. He's just run a PR 2 weeks before the world champs - that could mean he's on his way up and ready to do it again in Tokyo. But considering he's been in race shape since March there is also a chance he was forced to reach that peak 2 weeks before Tokyo just to get there.
Bureaucrats and politics just getting themselves in the way of athletes forever with no end in sight.
This post was edited 59 seconds after it was posted.
Griffith came 2nd at the Australian champs, which their vague selection policy seems to favour (when it suits them). Jess Hull, who won, isn't running the 5000m. Linden came 4th and Lauren didn't run them. But she's got the 3rd best time during the qualifying period, so agree she should have the edge over Hall.
Ryan was 8th at the champs. I don't think either Ryan or Hall have Bideau connections but Griffiths does. For the sake of avoiding drama, they should just select Ryan and leave Hall to only run the 1500. It's not like either will be a medal threat anyway
Griffith came 2nd at the Australian champs, which their vague selection policy seems to favour (when it suits them). Jess Hull, who won, isn't running the 5000m. Linden came 4th and Lauren didn't run them. But she's got the 3rd best time during the qualifying period, so agree she should have the edge over Hall.
Here are the results of the Australian outdoor 5000m championships.
Griffith came 2nd at the Australian champs, which their vague selection policy seems to favour (when it suits them). Jess Hull, who won, isn't running the 5000m. Linden came 4th and Lauren didn't run them. But she's got the 3rd best time during the qualifying period, so agree she should have the edge over Hall.
Ryan was 8th at the champs. I don't think either Ryan or Hall have Bideau connections but Griffiths does. For the sake of avoiding drama, they should just select Ryan and leave Hall to only run the 1500. It's not like either will be a medal threat anyway
But Ryan is running the 10,000m so both are going anyways.
Both are in good form.
Hall beat Ryan head to head at the national championships, so I'd personally give it to Hall for that reason, since it is close and shes in good form (unlike for example Olli Hoare). But I see the rationale in giving it to Ryan, 10K final is day 1, 1500 final is day 4 and 5k heats start on day 6. A doable schedule for the 1500-5k double, but more ideal for the 5-10 double. Either choice is sensible.
Hall has a better chance in a championship type race than Ryan. Ryan has no kick and will get burnt off in a slow race that turns into a 2-3 lap kick, which is what happened at Nationals.
Hall has a better chance in a championship type race than Ryan. Ryan has no kick and will get burnt off in a slow race that turns into a 2-3 lap kick, which is what happened at Nationals.
Lauren is also much less consistent than Linden. If you look at her times this year they are all over the board. Linden is a proven championship performer, beat Lauren head to head at Nationals, and competed in the summer series. So she hits all of AAs criteria.
Hall has a better chance in a championship type race than Ryan. Ryan has no kick and will get burnt off in a slow race that turns into a 2-3 lap kick, which is what happened at Nationals.
There is ZERO chance the 5000m at World Championships is going to be a 15:00 race. That type of race plays more to Ryan's favor.
And Ryan was just coming off of her 10k (at the TEN) for the Australian national champs. She wasn't fresh and had just flown across the world.
I think he selection of Hall should be fairly uncontroversial.
Just take a look at the world ranking. Hall is far ahead.
She was easily the faster of them in the national championships.
Hall does have a slightly slower SB but it is really close and Hall did in her SB in May. She ran a 3:56 1500m in August so she is obviously better now than her 5000m SB.
I find it interesting with all the hate and accusations towards the Australian team selection. I would definitely find it a lot more strange if they had NOT selected Hall.
But I am not an Australian so maybe I am missing something.
Hall has a better chance in a championship type race than Ryan. Ryan has no kick and will get burnt off in a slow race that turns into a 2-3 lap kick, which is what happened at Nationals.
There is ZERO chance the 5000m at World Championships is going to be a 15:00 race. That type of race plays more to Ryan's favor.
And Ryan was just coming off of her 10k (at the TEN) for the Australian national champs. She wasn't fresh and had just flown across the world.
Lauren Ryan should 100% be selected.
Lauren has a faster SB, but Linden ran her time in May (in a race she won by 5 seconds), and has clearly hit all time form based on her 1500m.
The question is also which one of the two is more likely to make the final. Heats are traditionally slow burning affairs through 3k, followed by incredibly fast last 1-2 km. Linden has significantly better speed (1:59/3:56), and will be able to cover moves/close faster.
You know what - I actually agree. Surely this whole thing is distracting too. There is also a fifth lady with the qualifying time who isn’t going at all. Send her instead. At least she will have fresh legs.
Three rounds of 1500m, or a 10km is hard to recover from. There is a reason only a very few superstars can compete in multiple events.