Nick Willis misses World Championships by 1 spot due to four "gift athletes"

That's not how "gift" athletes work. You only get one if you aren't sending an athlete in ANY event (not sure if it is 1 per gender or 1 total). You don't just get to send an athlete in every event where you had no runners make the standard, meaning Ethiopia can't send any 100m runners because they have a bunch of other competitors.

it's bad enough wrote:

Inquiring minds want to know wrote:

What's so unusual about a 32 year old running sub-3:30? I could see if he was in his late 30s/early 40s there might be some suspicion warranted - but 32? C'mon....man, 32 is young for a distance runner who isn't injury prone and takes care of themselves.

You just labeled Nick Willis a distance runner. There are a lot of distance runners who read post and post on let'srun. Many of you gals and guys set your Marathon personal best past the age of 31. What you gals and guys do in the Marathon is irrelevant to 1500m. There are 32 outdoor sub-3:30 1500m runners. Willis is the only one to set a sub-3:30 personal best at age 32. Lagat, who set his 1500m personal best, 2001 at age 26, last raced sub-3:30 at age 31. It is unusual because no one else has done it.

I missed characterized: I meant mid-d runner. And there is, in fact, one other sub-3:30 at age 32: Sir Mo ran a sizzling 3:28.93 in 2015 at age 32! Also of note is Aman Wote's 3:29.91 at age 30 (there's not much difference between a 30 & 32 yr old in the world of athletics).

Again, I could see suspicion for a late 30s athlete running sub-3:30, but not early 30s. Early 30s is young for a mid-runner who doesn't have a history of injuries and has taken care of themselves.

3:28.93 Mohamed Farah GBR 23.03.83 4 Monaco 17.07.2015

3:29.91 Aman Wote ETH 18.04.84 6 Monaco 18.07.2014

I think the idea of the gift athlete is that the country sends the best track athlete in their country.

Limiting it to the marathon doesn't make sense for that reason.

It's not hard to add a few athletes to each event.

100m field of 48

7 heats. Put 7 people in 6 heats and 6 in the 7th heat. That leaves room to add 8 people. Or go to 8 heats if necessary.

Advance top 3 plus next 3 fastest or top 2 plus next 10 fastest.

Same concept for 200 - 800

For the 1500, it's 11 or 12 in a heat. You could go 14. Put gift athlete at end, maybe a one turn stagger.

Star wrote:

I think the idea of the gift athlete is that the country sends the best track athlete in their country.

Limiting it to the marathon doesn't make sense for that reason.

It's not hard to add a few athletes to each event.

100m field of 48

7 heats. Put 7 people in 6 heats and 6 in the 7th heat. That leaves room to add 8 people. Or go to 8 heats if necessary.

Advance top 3 plus next 3 fastest or top 2 plus next 10 fastest.

Same concept for 200 - 800

For the 1500, it's 11 or 12 in a heat. You could go 14. Put gift athlete at end, maybe a one turn stagger.

A one turn stagger for a 14 person 1500m? What?

What countries are sending runners in the 1500 and what are the runners' season bests in the 1500? Hohoho!

bummed wrote:

A bummer.

"Gift athletes" should be additional athletes in field. So if a field would have 14 usually. Then have 15 if it has a gift athlete. Willis has been around for ages and is popular. Makes more sense for him to be at Worlds than some no name especially when exceptions are being made to bump him.

So only popular athletes should get to go? You know he should have just ran faster right?

I apologize for missing Mohammed Farah. Hasn't Farah lived on the tip of a knife? I do not think Farah's sub-3:29 strengthens your argument. There is a huge difference in 1500m between a 30 year old and a 32 year old 1500m. Are you sure you are not a Marathoner? Marathoners say there is no difference between age 30 and age 32.

This kind of stuff always happens. Then people raise a stink. And the person ends up getting an invite. It’s a tale as old as time.

He's been on the circuit a long time and should be able to compete.

In support of Willis, athletes ought to boycott the mens 1500 and send a message to the IAAF.

Perhaps they will re-evaluate their decision in time that he is permitted to compete.

King slaya wrote:

This kind of stuff always happens. Then people raise a stink. And the person ends up getting an invite. It’s a tale as old as time.

An invitation that Willis has now received and declined:

File under ironic invite?

proper use of ironic? wrote:

File under ironic invite?

Perhaps, but I probably wouldn't take the risk on this site, since you're almost guaranteed at least one response that it constitutes improper usage of that word. (You can confuse "its" and "it's," or "there," "their," and "they're," but "ironic" is subject to strict scrutiny here. Ironically, maybe. But maybe not.)

I think that Coe's best and only sub 3:30 was a matter of days before his 30th birthday.

Avocado's Number wrote:

proper use of ironic? wrote:

File under ironic invite?

Perhaps, but I probably wouldn't take the risk on this site, since you're almost guaranteed at least one response that it constitutes improper usage of that word. (You can confuse "its" and "it's," or "there," "their," and "they're," but "ironic" is subject to strict scrutiny here. Ironically, maybe. But maybe not.)

+1