England Athletics screwing over marathoner for Commonwealth Games selection

milermb wrote:

Given that most of the top Kenyan and other Commonwealth runners from Africa will NOT be at the Games (running the spring marathons that pay well!) Mellor would have been pretty near the front of the field if he had run 2:12.

More evidence of British athletics' obsession with sprints and jumps - events that 90% of athletic's fans find very boring!

I know many people who run, and have through my life, but have never known anyone who does triple jump.

does anyone know how they replace injured athletes because the likelyhood of one of them getting injured for the games is high if he dosnt get in that way selection to the Europeans would be much easier as London is the qualifying event

Kenya have 76 athletes under 2:10 to pick from this year. The suggestion seems to be that a definite medal contender in another event should be dropped in the hope that the race is slow enough for Mellor to medal by matching a pb he has never backed up that he did in ideal conditions. It seems that people think this should be done because they prefer marathons to field events. That's no fair basis for selection.

The Other Ultra Boy wrote:

Kenya have 76 athletes under 2:10 to pick from this year. The suggestion seems to be that a definite medal contender in another event should be dropped in the hope that the race is slow enough for Mellor to medal by matching a pb he has never backed up that he did in ideal conditions. It seems that people think this should be done because they prefer marathons to field events. That's no fair basis for selection.

kenya have won the event once in the last 5 times never had more than one person on the podium 'The suggestion seems to be that a definite medal contender in another event should be dropped in the hope that the race is slow enough' do you seriously think sarah mcdonald judd and snowden has more of a chance beating kipyegon muir semenya chebet and obiri and mcdonald is 13th in commonwealth games limiting to three from Kenya

or Amelia STRICKLER 17.13 the 11th best commonwealth athlete and 1.4 metters behind the third best commonwealth athlete in the shot put

Actually I make it 9th and with India's Kaur suspended pending the outcome of a drugs test that could be higher. Backed up her 17.13 with a 17.12 and 17.03. That still looks better than ranked 16th (if every country limited to 3 athletes) based on a one off performance on the world's fastest course. Gap to 3rd falls to 83cm, and if Borel does retire (she had hinted at it in 2016) it's down to 61cm. 17.13 would not have won a medal only in 86, 06 and 14. You can't putt that down to a fast course.

So no I don't think Mellor is being screwed by her inclusion either.

Actually, hardly anyone wrote:

I know many people who run, and have through my life, but have never known anyone who does triple jump.

You haven't lived. Think you can moan about injuries? Hah! Talk to a TJer....

they are taking 6 women for the 4 x 400 and none of them are running individual events.

the guy deserves one of those spots at least.

Everyone knows that the distance events are the deepest and the jumps and throws the shallowest at the Commonwealth Games, so once again the UK goes for the easy and omits the hard.

sonia samuels 9 minutes from the third best marathon commonwealth marathoner and about 47th fastest in the commonwealth

or Cheriece Hylton 52.68 11th quickest in the uk commonwealth selection 51.70 so there happy to pick athletes for a relay who wont run in the final just the heat who have not got the selection time wierd

But if every country limited to 3, and discounting non travelling Brits, 11th, as opposed the Mellors 16th, and has run persistently around 2:28 to 2:34, with medals consistently available outside 2:30. Whilst Kenya have 76 men under 2:10 they have only 14 women faster than 2:25, so if their very top runners are not running the women they send instead are much closer to Samuels standard.

So higher ranking for the competition, greater consistency of performance, and less depth to the main country in the event, how does Samuels selection show Mellor unscrewed over?

The Other Ultra Boy wrote:

But if every country limited to 3, and discounting non travelling Brits, 11th, as opposed the Mellors 16th, and has run persistently around 2:28 to 2:34, with medals consistently available outside 2:30. Whilst Kenya have 76 men under 2:10 they have only 14 women faster than 2:25, so if their very top runners are not running the women they send instead are much closer to Samuels standard.

So higher ranking for the competition, greater consistency of performance, and less depth to the main country in the event, how does Samuels selection show Mellor unscrewed over?

fine you can make the argument either way but Cheriece Hylton does absolutely unfair to pick an athlete with out a qualifying time when athletes with one misses out

Xcvxcvxcv, you mean once again the selectors pick the athletes with the best chance to get a medal in their career at this event. What's the problem with that? Do you really think those with a better chance of winning a medal should be left at home just so we have someone in the marathon, you really want to deny them that opportunity? When it comes to the Euros it is the other way around, should we ditch endurance runners to make sure we send all the jumpers and throwers for that?

As to relays, almost guaranteed a medal even with the 11th best British runner, 9th best English btw. With several higher profile non runners she gets into the squad. I actually think we need only 5 (no one wants a situation like the Euro Team Champs at the Commonwealths). Would Mellor be my next in line, not certain as I don't know who has declined who I might place ahead of him.

i get that i think six is a lot especially when if in the unlikely event of an injury you would still have oskan Clarke and beesley who could do a respectable 400 meter leg id also say the same with the mens jack green and hughes could replace someone

Actually, hardly anyone wrote:

I know many people who run, and have through my life, but have never known anyone who does triple jump.

eurodonkey wrote:

Think you can moan about injuries? Hah! Talk to a TJer....

Oh. Well, even less than I thought.

to not live in England.

I bet we are taking the 'new breed' of racewalkers who seem to be flavour of the month. Exploiting medal chances in 'nothing' events. What a joke of a discipline... it's lifting.... literally.