Well then just what did you mean by your line:
"What if Webb runs 3:33 in Paris, still 1-2 weeks shy of the IAAF deadline? "
Isn't this suggesting that someone can be added and someone can be bumped right up to near the deadline? If not, then what difference does it make if Webb runs 3:33 or 3:23?
By and large, Canada does not have 'selections'. The vast majority of athletes qualified with purely objective criteria and were nominated by AC to the COC for team membership.
The only 'selections' were with respect to 'Rising Stars' and this very thread is evidence that anything subjective is not going to be an easy answer or likely to satisfy many people.
The alternative would be to either make 'Rising Stars' automatic qualifiers (which the COC would very likely not agree to) or get rid of them all together and leave everything as objective qualifications, just like most people are advocating for.
Maybe they should have re-run the Atlanta 1500 since El-G was heavily favoured to win but tripped at the bell.
Life isn't fair. The unexpected does happen and often at the Olympics, one person's misfortune is another's chance to shine. Maybe Billy Mills 10,000 gold should be taken away since it is not fair the odds-on favourite didn't win.
But then, if we are re-writing history (or at least certain races), then why bother having any kind of Trials or even the Olympics themselves? If it is not fair that a favourite didn't win or qualify, then let's avoid that possibility and mail out medals based on PBs. That'll be fair to the deserving competitors even if it screws us fans out of exciting championship racing.
You want to tell Lomong that despite kicking butt and taking third at the US Trials that he'll be staying home because Webb was the best in the world in 2007 and obviously it would be unfair for him not to be at the Olympics?
It's not fun, but s**t happens. That's why they run the race! They don't qualify athletes out of the heats or semis who 'deserve' to be in the final but screwed up their earlier races, so what is the difference?
Whatsisface being Dan O'Brian? You want to tell Rob Muzzio that he's staying home since it is only fair that Dan go to Barcelona? Would your answer change if you knew that Muzzio ended up placing 5th at the Olympics? One person's misfortune is another's fortune.
So, lets just mail out the Olympic medals now and be fair to those who have performed over the previous couple of years. What's the difference between that solution and ignoring performance at qualifying trials?