The people up in arms about this seem to think this world ranking structure will be perfect.
I don’t trust any ranking system that has a lot of variables. There is no objective way to rank runners over a period of time.
You have an entry standard and the top three finishers at the Trials with that standard make the Olympics.
That’s perfectly objective.
The example that Paul Chelimo would not have make the Olympics in 2016 under these rules because of the faster standard seem to miss the fact that he also would have not made it in on ranking either because he had no world racing success in the window leading up to those trials.
This dual qualifying option just makes things more confusing.
Track isn’t complicated. It’s first to the line.
Now the US can’t just send any top three across the line.
Three is a max and they all have to hit some standard.
So it’s the top three among those that hit a certain standard.
Allowing this convoluted ranking system as one option means a smaller pool of time qualifiers and therefore faster time standards.
The question seems to be can the US take one athlete from one option and two athletes from the other option in the same event.
If you can pool options, great.
If not, I’d rather go with the time standard since it is tangeable and clearer.