Thursday, April 17, 2008

Michael Aish and Lisa Hunter-Galvin

What a shocker. You run the A qualifying time for the Olympics and you are not selected. If you are Michael Aish, you run it twice, and don't get selected! What are the NZ athletics selectors doing? This is ridiculous. These people have made the marks (one twice), and they are not selected. We are a struggling nation in the world of athletics, one of the most competitive sports in the world. When you do the time you should be on the plane. Previous performances are not the point. I think the NZ athletics system of selection is too tough all round. Last year for the World Youth's they set harsher qualification times than the IAAF standards (e.g. 4.32 for the girls 1500 instead of 4.35). This is bizzare thinking. It is not as if we are brimming with talent.

So, where Aish and Hunter-Galvin are concerned, I hope they appeal and win their appeals. Whatever their past performances, they have shown their ability to make the games, they should go. Just as Beatrice F has done it. She threw one qualification throw at the last minute and was selected. There is a distinct lack of consistency here!

So... this is a shocker!

No comments: