Rest Days Well Deserved
Trial & Era
Since the 1968 Summer Olympics and a few before that, our Olympic Team has been chosen through some type of trial system. The system is fraught with pitfalls and potholes and is not as easy as 1-2-3 as it looks, at least to the more casual fan.
It is especially convoluted these days—World Athletics seems to be going out of its way to make it so with its system of points toward a ranking and Olympic Qualifying times.
Very few seem to entirely understand the process. In any case, there was a time when the United States could send three per event regardless of any Olympic standard. Then, the minimum standards were created, and one of our top three in a variety of events—every Olympic Trials—is chasing a qualifier.
Is our current system, regardless of the points system, the fairest? Is it the best way to give our most accomplished athletes the best opportunity to compete at their best at the Games, even when we inevitably leave some of our best at home?
My unofficial polling indicates that most embrace the idea that the top three in each competition’s final should be our representative, having earned the right—even though this is becoming more of a rarity and a myth.
The marathon trial proved to be superfluous as the top two—Conner Mantz and teammate Clayton Young—were the only athletes to secure the standard, and it was extremely unlikely anyone else would achieve it, especially in the Florida warmth.
You can ponder all this to your heart’s content while viewing all the trials and tribulations here: https://worldathletics.org/stats-zone/road-to/7153115
“And here’s another indication that regardless of how good we are, we can leave some better athletes ‘home, than other countries have. It’s part of our American way.” Bobby Kersee
The quote is in response to Olympic Champ Athing Mu’s fall in the W800M.
Moving on…
One sensation at this trial’s competition has been young 16-year-old Quincy Wilson. Holy Cow! He is a very cool, calm, and collected athlete mature beyond his years. Quincy not only made the M400M Final—he finished sixth.
Somehow, at least for me, his innocence and young boyishness were a breath of fresh air in all the calculations, posing, and posturing—as much of a…
CLICK HERE to Read the Full Original Article at runblogrun…