"A" standard "B" standard???

Tony said:

What's the deal with the olympic trials?

http://www.usatf.org/events/2004/OlympicTrials-TF/entry/qualifyingStandards.asp

Quoted message said:

In the 5k last night the winner
isn't automatically on the olympic team and still has to run an "A" standard
race?

He only needs the "B" standard.

Quoted message said:

That's messed up and makes me wonder why they even have the trials.

What if several people meet the standard ?

Quoted message said:

And the other guy who finished 2nd has run an "A" standard already but isn't
on the team automatically either?

Not unless Broe has the A standard.

Quoted message said:

This is confusing. Also, what's the "B" standard?

The standards for 5000 are 13:21.5 and 13:25.4

Broe has a good chance of making the "B" -- he ran a 13:27 in fairly warm
conditions.

Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi
http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/

Tony said:

What's the deal with the olympic trials? In the 5k last night the winner
isn't automatically on the olympic team and still has to run an "A" standard
race? That's messed up and makes me wonder why they even have the trials.
And the other guy who finished 2nd has run an "A" standard already but isn't
on the team automatically either? This is confusing. Also, what's the "B"
standard?

A little explanation here. In addition to placing in the trials, there are
qualification standards to be met for IAAF to allow you to compete in the
Olympics. Same thing for the World Championships. The "A" standard is for
major track powers: A country can send three athletes per event, provided that
they all meet the A standard. There is a somewhat easier "B" standard,
intended for lesser powers, but if a nation's athletes only meet the B
standard, that nation can only send 1 athlete in that event.

The issues here do not apply in the sprints, where we have many athletes who
have met the A standard. But in the distance events, where we are not nearly
so strong, USATF performs selection this way:

1. If the winner of the event has the B standard (only), the winner and only
the winner goes to the Olympics.

2. If the winner has the A standard, the winner and the next 2 highest placing
athletes (not necessarily 2-3 in the finals) that have the A standard go.

3. If the winner does not have either A or B standard, the highest placing
athletes that have the A standard go.

So, by this criteria, the selection for the mens 5000 goes like this:

1. If Broe gets the B standard, only Broe goes.

2. If Broe gets the A standard, Broe and Riley go.

3. If Broe does not get either the A or B standard, only Riley goes.

Hope this clears things up a bit.

Lyndon
"Speed Kills...It kills those that don't have it!" --US Olympic Track Coach
Brooks Johnson

Lyndon wrote in message <[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Tony said:

What's the deal with the olympic trials? In the 5k last night the winner
isn't automatically on the olympic team and still has to run an "A"

standard

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

race? That's messed up and makes me wonder why they even have the trials.
And the other guy who finished 2nd has run an "A" standard already but

isn't

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

on the team automatically either? This is confusing. Also, what's the

"B"

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

standard?

A little explanation here. In addition to placing in the trials, there are
qualification standards to be met for IAAF to allow you to compete in the
Olympics. Same thing for the World Championships. The "A" standard is for
major track powers: A country can send three athletes per event, provided

that

Quoted message said:

they all meet the A standard. There is a somewhat easier "B" standard,
intended for lesser powers, but if a nation's athletes only meet the B
standard, that nation can only send 1 athlete in that event.

The issues here do not apply in the sprints, where we have many athletes

who

Quoted message said:

have met the A standard. But in the distance events, where we are not

nearly

Quoted message said:

so strong, USATF performs selection this way:

1. If the winner of the event has the B standard (only), the winner and

only

Quoted message said:

the winner goes to the Olympics.

2. If the winner has the A standard, the winner and the next 2 highest

placing

Quoted message said:

athletes (not necessarily 2-3 in the finals) that have the A standard go.

3. If the winner does not have either A or B standard, the highest placing
athletes that have the A standard go.

So, by this criteria, the selection for the mens 5000 goes like this:

1. If Broe gets the B standard, only Broe goes.

2. If Broe gets the A standard, Broe and Riley go.

3. If Broe does not get either the A or B standard, only Riley goes.

Hope this clears things up a bit.

Lyndon
"Speed Kills...It kills those that don't have it!" --US Olympic Track

Coach

Quoted message said:

Brooks Johnson

Thanks for the explanation. Now option 1 above seems messed up to me that's
why I was confused. Riley has already run A standard but Riley can only go
if Broe does A Standard or worse than B standard between now and final
selection time. So Riley having the better time could get dropped from the
team - bad rule IMO.

- Tony

In article <[email hidden]>,

Tony' qtrader2@(remove)hotmail.com said:

Thanks for the explanation. Now option 1 above seems messed up to me that's
why I was confused. Riley has already run A standard but Riley can only go
if Broe does A Standard or worse than B standard between now and final
selection time. So Riley having the better time could get dropped from the
team - bad rule IMO.

Part of it is marketing. They want the trials to mean something, so they
want the winner of the trials to go if possible. Also, just because
someone made the A standard 5 months ago doesn't mean they can still do
it. If they're able, why didn't they do it at the trials?

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night,
and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
-Homer J. Simpson

Harold Buck wrote in message ...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Tony' qtrader2@(remove)hotmail.com said:

Thanks for the explanation. Now option 1 above seems messed up to me

that's

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

why I was confused. Riley has already run A standard but Riley can only

go

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

if Broe does A Standard or worse than B standard between now and final
selection time. So Riley having the better time could get dropped from

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

team - bad rule IMO.

Part of it is marketing. They want the trials to mean something, so they
want the winner of the trials to go if possible. Also, just because
someone made the A standard 5 months ago doesn't mean they can still do
it. If they're able, why didn't they do it at the trials?

Weather conditions for distance races are a big factor; that's why Brow will
go to europe to find a race(s) with more favorable condtions.

Quoted message said:

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night,
and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
-Homer J. Simpson

Tony said:

Harold Buck wrote in message ...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Tony' qtrader2@(remove)hotmail.com said:

So Riley having the better time could get dropped from the
team - bad rule IMO.

Also, just because
someone made the A standard 5 months ago doesn't mean they can still do
it. If they're able, why didn't they do it at the trials?

Weather conditions for distance races are a big factor; that's why Brow will
go to europe to find a race(s) with more favorable condtions.

I think this is what happened in the women's marathon in 2000. Christine
Clark won the trials, but only had a B time. One or two others had prior
A times and probably stronger recent running histories, but not that
day, which was unseasonably warm. Clark was in Sydney, the others weren't.

Dot

--
"Success is different things to different people"
-Bernd Heinrich in Racing the Antelope

"Dot" <dot.h@#att.net> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think this is what happened in the women's marathon in 2000. Christine
Clark won the trials, but only had a B time. One or two others had prior
A times and probably stronger recent running histories, but not that
day, which was unseasonably warm. Clark was in Sydney, the others weren't.

IIRC only Anne Marie Lauck had the "A" standard and finished 3rd. There was
even some pressure on Clark to run another marathon in more favorable
conditions in order to acheive the standard and send a more competitive
runner to the games. As it was Clark did very well in the Sydney games
finishing in the top 20 (19th IIRC) with a PB.

""El Paisano"" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Dot" <dot.h@#att.net> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think this is what happened in the women's marathon in 2000. Christine
Clark won the trials, but only had a B time. One or two others had prior
A times and probably stronger recent running histories, but not that
day, which was unseasonably warm. Clark was in Sydney, the others

weren't.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

IIRC only Anne Marie Lauck had the "A" standard and finished 3rd.

Oops, Kristy Johnston (2nd place finisher) also had the "A" standard.

"\"El Paisano\"" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Oops, Kristy Johnston (2nd place finisher) also had the "A" standard.

They have a cure for that now ya know?