Americans with Olympic "A" standard

[ycn]

Re: Americans with Olympic

I think the only reason you don't see very many athletes achieving their Olympic "A" marks at the Trials is because of just one thing.

All of these people who enter the OT are focused on making the US team. If they haven't attained an "A" mark before the trials they know that they are no real threat for any kind of a medal at the Olympics, so they want to be in the top three in the Trials. Certainly they hope that they can get that "A" mark in the process, but they aren't going to risk their chance to be in the top 3 for taking a bold gamble for an "A" mark in a preliminary round. The finals is where everyone without an "A" mark will be trying to achieve one.

But if they fall far behind the top three in the finals of a longer track event, the "A" time would be irrelevant anyway, so they won't bother with the effort.

All of the field events are based on some form of explosive effort, so people will go all out for "A" marks there. But sometimes you either have it, or you don't.

I don't think the events schedule should be all that taxing on these athletes. Only three events last four rounds: the mens 100 and 200, and the men's 110 hurdles. In those events they are used to running two races in one day.

The quarters, semis and finals of the 400 hurdles for both the men and women are run on three consecutive days. The men's 400 goes Sunday, Monday and Thursday. The women's 400 goes Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

The men's and women's 800 rounds are Friday, Saturday and Monday. The men's 1500 goes Thursday, Friday and Sunday; the women's Friday and Sunday. The women's 5000 goes Friday and Monday; men's Monday and Friday. The men's 3000 steeplechase goes Monday and Thursday.

The 10,000 is finals only, as are the women's 3000 steeplechase, the decathlon and heptathlon.

All field events are qualifying and finals.

Only the 1500 and the men's 800 look to be anything like too closely scheduled, and if you can't come out of the Olympic Trials in those events with an "A" mark, you wouldn't have advanced past the first round in the Olympics anyway.

[Pego]

Re: Americans with Olympic

The Trials will be just fine, thank you. I'll enjoy myself just as much as I always have. C'mon, guys, so what if a few events like the men's hammer or women's javelin suck? So what if the 1500 isn't going to be close to some in the past? The US T&F Trials are still the greatest show on the planet, a lot of great action and I may even meet in person some of you bums that I met on this message board and consider as friends :-). The cost? The tickets for the whole thing for my wife and myself wouldn't buy me 3 nights in a lower cost hotel in NYC. Do I sound like a cheerleader? You bet your ass I do.

[gh]

Re: Americans with Olympic

>Kuha is of course right. The real 'tragedy' is with all the rounds in the 800,
>1500, etc the possibility of getting an A standard at Sacramento is pretty
>remote. Why not have a 5 day Trials with just a straight final in the
>distance races? Everyone would be rested for the final and the chance of a
>fast race would be far more feasible. Something, by the way, rarely seen in
>this country!>>

Coupla thoughts:
1. Gabe Jennings 3:35.90 at the '00 Trials in Sacto.
2. Whether they run 1 round or 27, unless there's somebody(ies) with cojones, it's going to be largely a sit and kick affair. Not only are most Americans predilected that way, everybody is also concerned first and foremost with not making a mistake that will cost them the win, and not worrying about running a fast time just for the crowd. They all think they can win, and that's all they need to punch their ticket for Athens.

[15mph]

Re: Americans with Olympic

What good is finishing in the top three unless one has the Olympic standard. You could finish third and still not go to the Olympic games. In an Olympic year sit and kick races are not advisable. If the 1500 meter runners come in at 3:39 + today what good is it going to do them.

[gh]

Re: Americans with Olympic

And another thought: this is still the dad-gumn national championships and that's a great meet in years when there's no Olympic team to qualify for. It remains a great meet!

[MJR]

Re: Americans with Olympic

Some updates to Dan's list.

John Nunn, Tim Seaman & Joanne Dow have A standards in the 20km RW. Joanne got hers in January, John got his last week and Tim got his today.

[15mph]

Re: Americans with Olympic

It looks as if only Webb got anything out of this race. The rest of the field probably posted in the 3:40 - 3:50 range. If it were not for Webb this race would have been a big flop.

[doug burke]

Re: Americans with Olympic

our fellow poster dajett aka bennie chatman has the a qualifier fot the olympics

[ycn]

Re: Americans with Olympic

Hasn't Webb been training in Kenya? He looked significantly faster than I've ever seen him run. There is certainly considerable upside in his performance range this year.

Last year's experiment with biking through Central and South America almost turned into a complete disaster. He's lucky he's even alive today.

(If Alan Webb is the runner I'm thinking of, and I think he is...)

[The Fern]

Re: Americans with Olympic

Does anyone else think that the "A" standards are getting a bit tough. I'll admit that while I lived in the West Indies I kind of lost touch, but five guys over the standard in the high jump!
I think we had over thirty in '76. Ok the standard was only 2.18, but I think todays is a bit high at 2.28 or 2.30, whatever it is. The winner isn't going much higher then 2.35 this time IMHO. I see a lot of events that won't get a lot of representation from all over the world.

[EPelle]

Re: Americans with Olympic

Ed -- there are at least two juniors who have made - or are darn near - the "A" standard (Thornblad and Sellers). I wouldn:t go so far as to say that standards should be based off of what the best juniors can achieve, rather that if one, two or a few juniors can make the standard, the standard probably is not out of reach for the top-20 open/elites.

[MJD]

Re: Americans with Olympic

>Hasn't Webb been training in Kenya?


Maybe secretly.


Last year's experiment with biking through Central and
>South America almost turned into a complete disaster. He's lucky he's even
>alive today.

(If Alan Webb is the runner I'm thinking of, and I think he
>is...)

That would be Gabe.