I recently read a story that a runner qualified for the olympics running a gold label race...the Ottawa marathon. However, they do not meet the marathon qualifying time. Let say if this person ran 2:25 for example, how does he qualify for RIO? Also, why would IAAF even consider someone who didn't meet the time. There were 15 other US runners who met the qualifying time at the trails and they don't get to run at RIO. Can someone explain this?
They'll let each country have at least 1 athlete per event, even if they haven't met the standard. That's how that slow 800m gal from Saudi Arabia (?) got on the 2012 Olympic team for them.
Top 10 at a gold label race is the same as hitting the time. It has nothing to do with a country being given a pass for one athlete.
TFP - Top finishing position at designated competitions (automatically qualifies, irrespective of whether his performance has reached the Entry Standard)
The Male Marathoners in under special rules
169 Roman Fosti EST 2:19:42 Shanghai (CHN) 08.12.2015 TFP,Q
170 Roman Prodius MDA 2:20:07 Wien (AUT) 12.04.2015 TFP,Q
171 Mihail Krassilov KAZ 2:22:58 Wien (AUT) 12.04.2015 TFP,Q
172 MihaÃl KalomÃris GRE 2:29:30 Rom (ITA) 22.03.2015 TFP,Q
173 Kuniaki Takizaki CAM 2:42:39 Singapore SG (SIN) * 07.06.2015 S,BCA,Q
The Females
177 Chen Yu-Hsuan TPE 2:55:21 Xiamen (CHN) 03.01.2015 S,TFP,Q
178 Nary Ly CAM 2:59:42 Valencia (ESP) 15.11.2015 S,BCA,Q
179 Jie Shi Neo SIN 3:15:02 Singapore (SIN) 06.12.2015 TFP,Q Please note Singapore has yet to officially designate her as their entry
Thanks, where did you get this list of entries from?
top 10 at gold label race is supposed to be harder than hitting the time. The iaaf needs to evaluate whether these races should be demoted.
Gold label races are usually harder. If you look at the start list at Ottawa the top ten athletes were all 2:12 and under. The weather played a major role in the times this year. Other than maybe the 2:26 athlete, all others are sub 2:19 guys (I.e. That 2:22 is worth a sub 2:19).
It is a way to have hard marathons still be qualifiers. If not you would have to start normalizing for everything (Berlin is harder than NYC. Etc)