Good read on lady not goin to olympics

UM1

http://eightlane.org/alison-leonard-so-im-not-going-to-the-olympics/

TFBubendorfer

She ran the QT 6 times, finished 3rd in the trials and still did not get picked even though they have a spot available. :eek:

I don't think I'd be able to write in such a calm manner in her situation!

RayCun

Would be interesting to know if they apply the same logic to the rest of their squad. Certainly most countries don't. Crazy.

Chivito550

Anybody know who the selectors are? Are there ex-athletes in there? Or coaches? Or are they just men and women in suits?

Shocking that they just leave a spot unused like that, and they leave a 2 flat 800m runner at home. Imagine being a teenager looking at that. You might think, why bother!

kit3

Great article. Heartbreaking to reach the QT 6 times & they leave a space free. She's dealt with it really well - getting the information out there and having her say in a calm & dignified manner - some lady !

robinph

If you have spaces on the team not taken by winners of the trials, and people with the qualifying time, then you fill those spots and take a full team. There is no reason for national bodies to be creating their own more difficult qualifying times than the IOC come up with either. If you have three people who meet the IOC times then they go. :mad:

morceli

robinph wrote: »

If you have spaces on the team not taken by winners of the trials, and people with the qualifying time, then you fill those spots and take a full team. There is no reason for national bodies to be creating their own more difficult qualifying times than the IOC come up with either. If you have three people who meet the IOC times then they go. :mad:

The need to do away with the medal table for the olympics , The damage this selection policy does to the sport is huge. For this athlete the boost her selection would have given her club, town etc would be great. This would encourage more people into the sport. Its the way its been going over the last few years all about winning and getting to the Olympic isn't enough.

Wild Garlic

I'd say she'd be more pissed off been called a burd

UM1

Wild Garlic wrote: »

I'd say she'd be more pissed off been called a burd

Im sure she has more pressing things to be pissed off with.

Dubgal72

UM1 wrote: »

Im sure she has more pressing things to be pissed off with.

I'm pissed off. Can you stop using the word 'burd' when referring to women, please?

Really good article.

happygoose

http://scienceofrunning.com/2016/07/selection-nightmare-countries-denying-athletes-their-olympic-dream.html

walshb

Dubgal72 wrote: »

I'm pissed off. Can you stop using the word 'burd' when referring to women, please?

Really good article.

Well said.

Relating to the article. You gotta' feel for the lady. Something not rights with the selection committee/process.

demfad

happygoose wrote: »

http://scienceofrunning.com/2016/07/selection-nightmare-countries-denying-athletes-their-olympic-dream.html

Another good one. Really enjoyed reading that, thanks.
Magness is spot on with his assessment.
Slightly off-topic but there is a lot to learn from that article about setting controllable goals for the average punter as well as the national body or IOC.
Worth a read.

Dubgal72

happygoose wrote: »

http://scienceofrunning.com/2016/07/selection-nightmare-countries-denying-athletes-their-olympic-dream.html

Bang on, thanks for that!

ultrapercy

Wild Garlic wrote: »

I'd say she'd be more pissed off been called a burd

Been instead of being probably puss her off even more. Of instead of have might push her over the edge..

johnruns

ultrapercy wrote: »

Been instead of being probably puss her off even more. Of instead of have might push her over the edge..

?

kit3

Wild Garlic wrote: »

I'd say she'd be more pissed off been called a burd

From reading the article I'd say she has a lot more sense than that - she has a lot more to be pissed off about. She might even have a sense of humour

huskerdu

kit3 wrote: »

From reading the article I'd say she has a lot more sense than that - she has a lot more to be pissed off about. She might even have a sense of humour

She probably does, but thats irrelevent when no humour was involved.

The OPb started a thread where he seems to be showing respect for a fellow athlete, but still felt a need to use a silly disrespectful term to describe her.

A nothing issue compared to some of the actual racism or sexism that some people have to put up with, but still.....

kit3

huskerdu wrote: »

She probably does, but thats irrelevent when no humour was involved.

The OPb started a thread where he seems to be showing respect for a fellow athlete, but still felt a need to use a silly disrespectful term to describe her.

A nothing issue compared to some of the actual racism or sexism that some people have to put up with, but still.....

I agree it might look that way but knowing the op from his posts on here I would be fairly certain that no personal disrespect was intended.

UM1

kit3 wrote: »

I agree it might look that way but knowing the op from his posts on here I would be fairly certain that no personal disrespect was intended.

Thanks kit for defending my honor,,u are a girl arent u..

kit3

UM1 wrote: »

Thanks kit for defending my honor,,u are a girl arent u..

Still a 'girl' in my own head anyway

Gavlor

So the lady didn't make it, how did the burd get get on? I liked her more anyway till she disappeared.


People need to relax.

Chartsengrafs

Gavlor wrote: »

So the lady didn't make it, how did the burd get get on? I liked her more anyway till she disappeared

That makes literally no sense. If you're going to post comments to get people's backs up, at least get your grammar right.

Gavlor

Chartsengrafs wrote: »

That makes literally no sense. If you're going to post comments to get people's backs up, at least get your grammar right.

I think you meant to say "that literally makes no sense".

At least get it right and for the love of god stop throwing in random, punctuation.

Chartsengrafs

Gavlor wrote: »

I think you meant to say "that literally makes no sense".

At least get it right and for the love of god stop throwing in random, punctuation.

That wasn't much better. How I love the main forum.

Gavlor

Chartsengrafs wrote: »

That wasn't much better. How I love the main forum.

Here you go; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm

Have a wonderful night!

Chartsengrafs

Gavlor wrote: »

Here you go; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm

Have a wonderful night!

I wasn't talking about the comma. I can't believe I'm still replying. I shouldn't have said a thing, discussing grammar on the internet.. a new low

Gavlor

Chartsengrafs wrote: »

I wasn't talking about the comma. I can't believe I'm still replying. I shouldn't have said a thing, discussing grammar on the internet.. a new low

I should have just used this from the outset....

Chartsengrafs

Back on topic, I'm not sure how the athlete was so balanced in her writing. I'm no expert on that distance but it seems a terrible shame to miss out. Would there be a budgetary aspect to this? Is that part of the thinking?

kit3

Chartsengrafs wrote: »

Back on topic, I'm not sure how the athlete was so balanced in her writing. I'm no expert on that distance but it seems a terrible shame to miss out. Would there be a budgetary aspect to this? Is that part of the thinking?

Agree she was very balanced & calm in a very difficult situation. Anyone know if they've done this with all events or just this one ?

gramar

“unless GB athletics thinks it can get three people in to the Olympic final in your event you are going to be left at home”

“The ‘culture of success’ which I believe UKA are building their policies on is valid in many way but it discourages taking large teams; management don’t want to be responsible for athletes ‘failing’ and exiting the competition in the qualifying rounds”

Is seems quite clear that the olympics is no longer about merely representing your country and fulfilling your dreams. It is business. If you're only going to make up the numbers and skew the statistics negatively then you're staying at home.

It is an event increasingly driven by money and results by both the organisers and the participating countries and the olympic ethos is becoming more and more tainted with every games.

average_runner

gramar wrote: »

Is seems quite clear that the olympics is no longer about merely representing your country and fulfilling your dreams. It is business. If you're only going to make up the numbers and skew the statistics negatively then you're staying at home.

It is an event increasingly driven by money and results by both the organisers and the participating countries and the olympic ethos is becoming more and more tainted with every games.

So why did Jo Pavey get selected ?

gramar

average_runner wrote: »

So why did Jo Pavey get selected ?

She reached the qualifying time in Amsterdam and she's a fairly well known name in athletics about to compete in her 5th olympics so good for the profile of UK athletics I suppose as opposed to a relative unknown who most likely won't make any impression.

average_runner

gramar wrote: »

She reached the qualifying time in Amsterdam and she's a fairly well known name in athletics about to compete in her 5th olympics so good for the profile of UK athletics I suppose as opposed to a relative unknown who most likely won't make any impression.

Thought Leonard got the qualifying time also? If not that's fair enough for her not to be selected.

Otherwise its a joke she doesn't go and Pavey gets to to go, who also has no hope of getting a medal. If anything Leonard has more to gain from the experience than Pavey.

Chivito550

gramar wrote: »

She reached the qualifying time in Amsterdam and she's a fairly well known name in athletics about to compete in her 5th olympics so good for the profile of UK athletics I suppose as opposed to a relative unknown who most likely won't make any impression.

Alison Leonard has run 2:00.08. It's not like she's somebody who has just barely squeezed under the standard. She's an excellent 800m runner, and if she was Irish she'd be comfortably our national record holder. With her pedigree I'd expect she would make the semi finals in Rio. She wouldn't be just a major championship tourist. Utterly ridiculous to go for nobody over a 2 flat runner.

gramar

I totally agree you both, choosing not the send an athlete and leave the place unfilled is reprehensible and bascially ridiculing the immense effort and dedication she has shown to represent her country and can only discourage others.

Utdfan20titles

Lucky they dont use the same system in relation to there football teams haha