Bureaucrats strike again: Athletics Canada won't send breakout 1:59 runner Fiona Benson to Pan-Ams as she didn't declare

Great story. Good looking babe.

Totally incredible season.

Why wouldn't they make an exception for a 23-year old 800 runner. How are you supposed to declare when you are a 2:08 person?

LetsRun.com wrote:

And she had a good reason for not declaring her intentions to run. On May 1st when declararations were due, she had a 2:08 pb.

http://athleticsillustrated.com/editorial/is-athletics-canadas-competition-declaration-policy-useful/

Utter stupidity on Athletics Canada part.

Here is a Q&A with Benson about her amazing season.

http://athleticsillustrated.com/interviews/fiona-benson-interview-2/

So, she didn't have the time needed when the times were due, in order to declare.

She happens to get the time AFTER.

You are blaming Athletics Canada for what, exactly?

I know it is popular on this site to rip organizations that run the sport.

But, this is a pretty basic procedure at every level of track and field.

Bro - Mama wrote:

LetsRun.com wrote:

And she had a good reason for not declaring her intentions to run. On May 1st when declararations were due, she had a 2:08 pb.

http://athleticsillustrated.com/editorial/is-athletics-canadas-competition-declaration-policy-useful/

Utter stupidity on Athletics Canada part.

Here is a Q&A with Benson about her amazing season.

http://athleticsillustrated.com/interviews/fiona-benson-interview-2/

So, she didn't have the time needed when the times were due, in order to declare.

She happens to get the time AFTER.

You are blaming Athletics Canada for what, exactly?

I know it is popular on this site to rip organizations that run the sport.

But, this is a pretty basic procedure at every level of track and field.

Yeah, but who set such a ridiculously EARLY (May 1st) declaration date??????

Maybe they feared that her huge time drop was PED related?

Bro - Mama wrote:

LetsRun.com wrote:

And she had a good reason for not declaring her intentions to run. On May 1st when declararations were due, she had a 2:08 pb.

http://athleticsillustrated.com/editorial/is-athletics-canadas-competition-declaration-policy-useful/

Utter stupidity on Athletics Canada part.

Here is a Q&A with Benson about her amazing season.

http://athleticsillustrated.com/interviews/fiona-benson-interview-2/

So, she didn't have the time needed when the times were due, in order to declare.

She happens to get the time AFTER.

You are blaming Athletics Canada for what, exactly?

I know it is popular on this site to rip organizations that run the sport.

But, this is a pretty basic procedure at every level of track and field.

Re-read please. She had the time before the time cutoff period, June 14th. But, she need to declare her interest in being on the team by May 1st, when her PR was still 2:08. Ridiculous qualifying process by AC.

Do the Canadian rules have an escape clause covering extraordinary circumstances?

It's hard to imagine that putting her on the team hurts anyone else, or that this is a situation that is going to come up very often.

Let me get this straight: people are upset because AC is following their own rules? We in the USA would really like that. The policy may have been foolish--although I'd say it's rather rare that someone PRs by 9 seconds in the 800--but the moment you stop following your own rules you open the floodgates.

AC only bends the rules when you go to guelph.

Athletics Canada is stupid in many additional ways beyond this one instance. There are no explanations or excuses for being stupid. Nuff said.

AC has a history of standing in the way of athletes competing at the highest level with bureaucratic foolishness. I remember it from the days of Drayton, and Jason Bunston and many others.

jsquire wrote:

The policy may have been foolish--although I'd say it's rather rare that someone PRs by 9 seconds in the 800--but the moment you stop following your own rules you open the floodgates.

Maybe, but maybe not. The USATF has made some glaring exceptions -- Gouchergate, anyone? -- and yet there's been no flood following.

(On second thought, maybe Gouchergate was consistent with the basic rule of the USATF: Keep Alberto happy!)

More seriously, the USATF rules allow athletes who don't meet the qualifying standards to appeal for an exception to the standards. Goucher appealed, and the USATF granted his appeal. It appears the rules give the appeals committee a lot of discretion, so it's hard to say that letting him in violated the rules.

Is there are anything in AC's rules that would allow such an appeal? Or is there general language in AC's charter that would allow them to let her on the team in order to better serve their basic purpose? I assume that purpose is to field the strongest possible team.

jsquire wrote:

Let me get this straight: people are upset because AC is following their own rules? We in the USA would really like that. The policy may have been foolish--although I'd say it's rather rare that someone PRs by 9 seconds in the 800--but the moment you stop following your own rules you open the floodgates.

Thanks jsquire. We know u have an interest in this. AC sux again.

What was the reason to "declare"?

Was this list available to all athletes, so that they would know who they were competing against for a spot?

Pretty random anyway, you never really know.

Even though Levins declared. He decided to run the 5000m. So the guys really didn't know. People can get injured. So you don't really know...

No benefit in declaring, just an arbitrary rule.

June 15th could have been the declaration date and that would have been fine.

ACggggg wrote:

AC only bends the rules when you go to guelph.

This is so true....

you should have all the background info....the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) required ALL sports to declare athletes well in advance for accreditation and medical clearance paperwork (yes, bureaucrats required here as well).

AND...what do you think would've happened the second AC announced that Benson was "in"....someone ranked 3rd or 4th would've appealed, and we would be in the same situation we are in right now anyways.

AC originally had their selection criteria and data as just top 2 at nationals....but Pan Am Games & COC required Pan Am Games annoucments prior to then.....

so can't blame AC here....

I do have the info . I saw the Victoria race, she was dominant. She has a 1:58.xx low in her this year. Hope she gets in some Euro races this summer.

Same with Fawn and her paper work. tough learning experience.

Isn't she going to World's? If so missing Pan-Ams isn't tragic.

Typical AC.

In his autobiography Charlie Francis writes something about the entire job of Athletics Canada could probably be done by 3 or 4 quality people. Sounds about right.