If this is true, that the total field reguardless if they have two heats or not, is going to be 25 runners and currently there are a total of 34 guys ahead of him time wise for the 5k on the list, then it stands to reason that others with faster qualifing times should be given first priority to run.
If for some reason someone can't make it, or are sick or injured, then you should obviously take the next available guy with the next fastest time on the list! This is completely fair and a no-brainer! If it works out that Webb is with in the top 25, with a 13:49 time, then fine, he should absolutely be allowed to run in the race or in one of the two possible heats.
Some here have said that the USATF takes the "A Standard" guys first when filling the numbers for the event and then afterwards, uses a grab-bag pick-n-mix approach to select from the "B Standard" qualifiers those runners whom they feel best round out the total for the race.
If this is actually true, as it appears now to be, I cannot for the life of me believe how unethical and absurdly subjective their selection process is!
Imagine for a moment hypothetically that you have 34 guys who all made it into the 5k with in the "A" Standard. But the field total for the event has been firmly set by the USATF at 25 for months, even posted online for every one to see. Then it would stand to reason in complete fairness and logic to take the top 25 times and allow them to race the event! If that was the criteria stated and understood by both officials and particants alike!
But this is not what they are doing here! Of the 34 guys on the list, 18 have "qualified" and have "declared" the other 16 guys who have all run faster than Webb with in the stated and published timeframe, are "provisional" and "pending".
So obviously USATF is going to have to drop 7 of those 16 guys to round out the field to 25 Right ? So, how are they going to do this? Through a beauty contest, hair style, ethnicity, etc.. One would think that they would do it fairly and take in rank order those runners who were closest to the "A" Standard to fill out the field!
But no, they decided instead that earned performance with in the published and understood time fame does not count for squat! But rather popularity, image profile and past accomplishments, in other words "x-factor!"
If "x-factor" is going to be the criterion for running the US Olympic Trials, then whole system is in crisis and in despirate need of restructuring from the ground up! The culture of privilage and celebrity has penetrated to the core of this corrupt organization that now needs to be gutted from with in!
I call for the immediate resignations of top all USATF officials who blatantly favor celebrity athletes and arrogantly flaunt in the publics face their inside-the-network decision making process! These people are not gods and should not be omnipotent in their selection of runners who have spent years of lifes and thousands of their dollars climbing the ladder of competition, only to be turned away at the last second because they don't measure up to the committee's "x-factor" standards!
How truely sad this whole thing is! People lying to themselves, to the public and to the athletes, all so that they can get the most bang for their buck!
Makes Me Sick!