Olympic Trials Update

[Conor Dary]

Bad Hammy and I went to Tracktown Tuesday last night. At the end Tracktown CEO Michael Reilly talked about the Trials....first thing he mentioned was they were following the Coronavirus story carefully and the main point was to keep everyone safe. We talked to him afterwards....he was very pleasant....and asked specifically about what happens with an Olympic postponement. He said they are waiting to see what happens...I also asked about doing the Trials anyways....assuming it's safe...even if the Olympics were next year and he thought that was a possibility. So I get the sense the Trials are on no matter what....unless of course conditions here render it not wise.

But again none of this is official so who knows...

[tandfman]

I can understand why there would have to be a meet in Eugene in late June--we should have a National Championship meet in any event. But if the Games are canceled, does the Eugene meet have to be ten days, or can it be reduced to one long weekend, as it normally is in non-Olympic years?

[Conor Dary]

He didn't knock down the idea of picking a team this year for an Olympics next year. But again that could all change....

[bad hammy]

He didn't knock down the idea of picking a team this year for an Olympics next year.

I would. If we want to send our best team to the OG we can't select it over a year ahead of time.

[Conor Dary]

I would. If we want to send our best team to the OG we can't select it over a year ahead of time.

I agree....though it would be an interesting experiment to see if it was better or not.

[Atticus]

I would. If we want to send our best team to the OG we can't select it over a year ahead of time.

Thought experiment: If the OG are postponed to next year (can't see that happening), how about this year's "OT" winner is on the team if s/he has an OG Qualifier next year also, and next year we select the 'rest' of the team.

[Conor Dary]

That would work I think...gh proposed that for the marathon.

As for the Olympics in July I can't see it happening..forget Europe and the US where it is just getting started wait til it explodes in Africa with bad health care.

[Conor Dary]

On a related note....

What's March Madness with no fans in the stands? A good way to prevent coronavirus, one group says

The National College Players Association (NCPA) has asked the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to consider having its men's and women's basketball tournaments with no crowds in the arenas due to coronavirus fears.

"In regard to the NCAA's March Madness Tournament and other athletic events, there should be a serious discussion about holding competitions without an audience present," the NCPA said in a statement Saturday.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/01/us/ma...rnd/index.html

[DrJay]

They could pipe in crowd noise, in the arenas and for TV viewers (for TV, like they pipe in chirping bird sounds during coverage of the Masters.)

[DrJay]

If the OG are a no-go, I bet they turn the OT into a four day meet. Or, could they invite foreigners and have a fine invitational (OK, delete the second idea, a meet has to have money these days to pay top athletes to travel and compete).

[Conor Dary]

Also mentioned last night....tickets to the Olympic Trials, if they happen, in the temporary seats on the 5000 men's day will be $13.22.

[Dave]

Don’t the trials double for the National championships? Obviously, the stakes are higher if it is an Olympic year

[bad hammy]

Also mentioned last night....tickets to the Olympic Trials, if they happen, in the temporary seats on the 5000 men's day will be $13.22.

That's for Monday, June 22nd - a night with six finals including the men's 5k. And tickets in the temp seats will be sold for $20.63 for Thursday the 25th, the night of the women's shot put final. $13.22 for Pre's American 5k record of 13.22 (actually 13:21.87), and $20.63 for Michelle Carter's American record. No tickets required at all for Wednesday, June 24th - the men's and women's hammer qualifying and finals.

[Conor Dary]

As mentioned last night it was for his 1972 Trials and US record of 13:22.8....

[gh]

I can understand why there would have to be a meet in Eugene in late June--we should have a National Championship meet in any event. But if the Games are canceled, does the Eugene meet have to be ten days, or can it be reduced to one long weekend, as it normally is in non-Olympic years?

at this late date I suspect that condensing the meet to a single weekend would really have a harsh impact on local merchants.