How do you qualify for 10,000 for the Olympics. Is it who ever hits the A mark. One guy was telling me they run a semi-final in the 10,000 is this true? Does each country automatcily get to put someone in the race even if they don't hit the A or B mark?
No heats. In an event, countries can send up to 3 athletes if each meets the A qualifying standard or 1 if it's the B. If a country has no A or B qualifiers in any event, it can send one male and one female athelete to track and field without regard to qualifying times.
I don't think there are any of those last in the 10K, but there appear to be some in the men's 1500 (there's a guy with a 3:59 PR), which has heats, and the women's 5K (e.g. a Syrian woman with a 17 PR), which has a semifinal.
Has there ever been any heats in the 10,000
Yes, in the past sometimes there have been heats.
They usually have a 10,000-meter heat in the Olympics. This year is the first time since 1964 that the 10,000 has been a straight final.
There are only 2 events that don't get the "small nation" free pass; the steeple and the 10,000m. Thats why the 10 has no heats this time around.