GH, lemme ask you a question...

[gm]

... seeing as how you are so vocal in your support of the NCAA Regionals, can I also get you to back moving the Olympic Trials to a date two weeks before the Games?

I am tired of seeing people chase marks after the Trials in order to make the team.

[gh]

Re: GH, lemme ask you a question...

GM, lemme give you an answer......!

I've long been vocal about the stupidity of having the OT (and WCT) so far from the big meet. Two weeks might be a bit close, but should never be more than a month, that's for sure.

I also believe that the Trials meet should be the end of the line, with the team chosen then and there. The fans deserve no less than knowing what they see is it. If you don't have your A standard by then, you're not going to be in the medal hunt anyway. (Having said that , I do note that Paul McMullen got a post-nationals Q in the 1500 in '01 and did make it to the WC final, where he finished 10th.)

[tafnut]

Re: GH, lemme ask you a question...

GM, lemme give you an answer......!

I've long been vocal about the stupidity of having the OT (and WCT) so far from the big meet. Two weeks might be a bit close, but should never be more than a month, that's for sure.

I also believe that the Trials meet should be the end of the line, with the team chosen then and there. The fans deserve no less than knowing what they see is it. If you don't have your A standard by then, you're not going to be in the medal hunt anyway. (Having said that , I do note that Paul McMullen got a post-nationals Q in the 1500 in '01 and did make it to the WC final, where he finished 10th.)

[tafnut]

Re: GH, lemme ask you a question...

Now that I've embarassed myself by giving gh's response again, here's mine (not that I was asked!)

1. One month prior - Yes. Few Americans have the patience and will to get back up again TWO months later.
2. Top three so the 'fan' is happy - No. The Trials are not just for the fans, they are to pick the US's best team, and if that means that the 3rd place finsiher has to prove him/herself further, so be it.
3. Mark chasing - Yes. Even T&FN follows the Euro mark chasing closely. That's part of the fun. You've beaten the field competively, now can you back it up with a legit world mark? It's not about the chances of medaling - it's also a lot about just making it to The Show (baseball analogy).

[jsquire]

Re: GH, lemme ask you a question...

If the USA, like other nations, held its championship meet in the middle of the summer during the GP break, it would be much better. Why?

1) Collegiate athletes would have a nice break after their season.
2) Post-collegiate athletes wouldn't need to try to make a national team before their real (GP) season begins.
3) The early Golden League meets could be hyped as leading up to the USA championships, and might draw more attention domestically.
4) Low-profile national-team members for late-season competitions (like the World Cup) wouldn't have such a long layoff.
5) Early-summer domestic meets for not-quite-GP-level athletes would have to be developed, as to offer competitive opportunities leading up to the USATF meet. The Can-Am distance series is a model; series of all-sprint & hurdle, all-jump, and all-throws competitions might work quite well.

But since it makes sense, of course USATF won't do it. They just always do what they've always done, and wonder why no one watches the meets.

Re: GH, lemme ask you a question...

You don't know what you're talking about with this USATF bashing. Masback has at least been able to get the meet moved a week later than it was during the previous regime. The real problem lies with the college coaches, who wield most of the power in USATF (even though they no longer provide directly anything but a tiny portion of national-team athletes compared to before). They want the summer off and will resist mightily any and all attempts to move the meet to July.