Olympic Trials "A" vs Olympics "A" Explained for German Fernandez

Before anybody asks, No, you cannot chase the standard after the Trials.

So the question now becomes if those who have the OT standard, but not the OLY standard, do they plan on just making it into the finals, see who's left that needs it, and hopefully work together?

Look at Sir G. Jennings 4 years ago, ran like a champ and still it didn't happen.

Uphill battle you could say.

So countries that don't have anyone at the A standard can still send one person per event? Am i reading that wrong?

This is something i did not know, so thanks wejo.

"It's the time you must have run if your country wants to send more than 1 person to the Olympics in an event." quote]

run_runner wrote:

So countries that don't have anyone at the A standard can still send one person per event? Am i reading that wrong?

This is something i did not know, so thanks wejo.

"It's the time you must have run if your country wants to send more than 1 person to the Olympics in an event." quote]

I'll bet you've seen guys running like 11 seconds in the early rounds of the 100 and wondered how they got there. Now you know!

run_runner wrote:

So countries that don't have anyone at the A standard can still send one person per event? Am i reading that wrong?

This is something i did not know, so thanks wejo.

"It's the time you must have run if your country wants to send more than 1 person to the Olympics in an event." quote]

Countries can send one competitor per event if that competitor has met the Olympic B standard. If a country has no athletes who have met the B standard in any Track and Field event they are allowed to enter one athlete in a Track and Field event (subject to certain restrictions.)

There is a B standard and countries who do not have any A standard athletes may send one athlete with the B standard. For the 1500 it is 3:38.00

Mr. Obvious wrote:

Countries can send one competitor per event if that competitor has met the Olympic B standard. If a country has no athletes who have met the B standard in any Track and Field event they are allowed to enter one athlete in a Track and Field event (subject to certain restrictions.)

The marathon seems to be a popular event for this. There's always some guy from the Seychelles or Bhutan or whatever lining up with a 2:55 PR.

I almost didn't post this thread but the fact it's #1 on letsrun.com right now means I'm glad I did. I'm adding it to the homepage.

wejo wrote:

I almost didn't post this thread but the fact it's #1 on letsrun.com right now means I'm glad I did. I'm adding it to the homepage.

Happy for you.

weary ramblers bones wrote:

The marathon seems to be a popular event for this. There's always some guy from the Seychelles or Bhutan or whatever lining up with a 2:55 PR.

Here's the rule, just for clarification: a. NOCs for which no male or no female athlete has reached the required qualification standard will be allowed to enter their best male athlete and their best female athlete in one athletic event each, with the exception of the Combined Events, 10,000m and 3000m Steeplechase.

So, one male and one female athlete. Federation can enter a female athlete even if they had males meet the qualifying standard and vice versa. Field event entries are at the discretion of the technical committee (which may be one reason running events are preferred?)

Why can't a country send a squad consisting of one or two A qualifiers and one B qualifier? Does the US have a policy against sending anyone with the B if there is someone else with the A? Or is that the rule?

Break the red tape for me wrote:

Why can't a country send a squad consisting of one or two A qualifiers and one B qualifier? Does the US have a policy against sending anyone with the B if there is someone else with the A? Or is that the rule?

NOCs may enter up to three athletes for each event on the athletics program, provided they have achieved the A standard. In addition they can enter one reserve athlete for the same event provided he/she has also achieved the A standard.

NOCs may enter one athlete for each event on the athletics program if he/she has achieved at least the B standard. In addition they can enter one reserve athlete for the same event provided he/she has also achieved at least the B standard.

This explains the US process for Olympic selection for A and B standards at the trials.

So the question now becomes if those who have the OT standard, but not the OLY standard, do they plan on just making it into the finals, see who's left that needs it, and hopefully work together?

Look at Sir G. Jennings 4 years ago, ran like a champ and still it didn't happen.

Uphill battle you could say.

Discussion of how only sending runners with the A standard (if there are 3 or more athletes who start the trials with an A in an event) and no Post-Trials standard chasing effects the 1500 tactics: http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4635189

Mr. Obvious wrote:

Before anybody asks, No, you cannot chase the standard after the Trials.

Yes, you can.

In 2004 Suzy Favor Hamilton had the Olympic A standard, and nobody else had even the B. Suzy sits out the Olympic trials thinking her A gets her in. She's right, as long as nobody gets a B, or somebody gets an A.

Carrie Tollefson wins the trials (Toomey 2nd, Rudolph 3rd). Tollefson then goes to Europe to chase the B standard. She gets it (4:06.30 in Belgium) which punches her ticket to Athens, and bumps Suzy. Tollefson (and Toomey and Rudolph) never get the A, so Suzy stays home.

Olympic Trials standards

http://www.usatf.org/events/2012/OlympicTrials-TF/entry/qualifyingStandards.asp

Status of entries for US athletes in the trials

http://www.usatf.org/events/2012/OlympicTrials-TF/entry/status.asp

Olympic A and B standards

http://www.usatf.org/events/2012/OlympicGames/entry/qualifyingStandards.asp

About a month old but gives you an idea of which US athletes have the Olympic "A" for 1500, 3000SC, 5000, & 10,000.

http://olympictrials.runnersworld.com/2012/05/22/a-standard-key-to-getting-to-london/

That was then, this is now.

There is no chasing the standard. Olympians are named at the conclusion of each event at the trials in 2012.

a "B" standard athlete can not go in any event that has 2 or more "A" standard athletes in the event.

The goal is to send as many athletes as possible in each event.

That rule changes every Olympic year.