Missing in inaction

[philipo]

Re: World Rankings. Nobody will be selected for events from 200-5K on World rankings and for other events the criteria is also fairly strict - you have to have achieved the British Athletics qualifying standard and demonstrate current form. There are no exceptions or discretionary clauses in the selection policy

You make no mention of entry standards set by WA which is first stage of qual standards and you made no mention of the quota system set by WA which appears on the system with points attached against ea h athlete
UKA may have the final say based on the trials but if you have no entry standard set by WA or you are outside the number of athletes set as target number per event by WA you dont go
.The 10 k has it's own WA peculiarities, of course
The uk selection document is ,as usual, a dogs breakfast,but if an athlete just misses on entry standard but is ,say ,2nd in the uk trials and well within the quota list set out by WA then grounds has uk for not selecting him?

[Ursus]

Where are our 79m spearists from last season?

No sign of Joe Harris yet and Whiteaker’s only appearance was 64.78 (sic) in mid April, which I hope was just off a few strides rather than signaling injury.

[drobbie]

im pretty sure dobbin is out for the season with an injury, im sure she said something about it a few weeks ago

[Ladyloz]

Re: World Rankings. Nobody will be selected for events from 200-5K on World rankings and for other events the criteria is also fairly strict - you have to have achieved the British Athletics qualifying standard and demonstrate current form. There are no exceptions or discretionary clauses in the selection policy

[Loop-guru]

Is it possible to game the system somewhat. By that I mean the whole thing is not a level playing field. For example Chris McAllister is currently ranked 27th in the world despite being half a second slower than our top ranked athlete on time and three time 2020 / 2021 / 2022 UK champion & Commonwealth Games Bronze medallist and World champs semi-finalist Alistair Chalmers (current rank 41). Last year Chris generally finished 4th - 7th in the ranking races he performed in which does not strike me as worthy of his current ranking Position.

[philipo]

The entry standards are as we know very tough , but there will be a fight for the quota places in the athetics world.Somehow last years size of team for the WC will seem to be a push to be replicated at Budapest.

[Loop-guru]

One reason for racing if you are not going to achieve the auto qualifying standard would be to work your way up the world rankings into a quota position so competing would be good for that. But with UK Athletics stance on smaller teams I don't hold to much hope for making the squad this way unless you are a relay runner or a 1st or 2nd year senior eg Lucy Hadaway.

[Ladyloz]

Not referencing individuals in this regard but more generally I too am not surprised after a super busy 2022 that a lot of athletes have not opened up yet or have only recently started their season; especially with worlds being end of August.

And before someone replies to state that it's only just over a Month until the trials; whilst that is true being realistic with the tough auto qualifying standards beyond the middle distances there are not going to be too many events where there is serious competition for places. Also, the final British team isn't being picked until last week of July after the London Diamond League.

[Loop-guru]

In a way there are two peaks to the season. First you have the trials then you have the worlds. Most of our athletes have to peak for the trials to get to the worlds so need to start nowish but 4 weeks to the trials could still work so I am not surprised that some have delayed their starts. However I do feel that there has been for some time a lot more of our lottery funded athletes competing a lot less once on funding. Alex Bell last year competed 11 times, before she was on lottery funding it was between 15-20 generally. Issy Boffey on the other hand has already raced 10 times this year and the last two years raced 20/21 times. Is this the advantage then that the Lottery funded athletes have as they focus more on aspects other than racing. Alex's performance last year of World semis. and 6th at the Europeans and Commonwealths certainly validates her approach.

[MR_ME]

The world champs aren't until the end of August, so there shouldn't be any pressure for an athlete to start their outdoor season at this stage, if they aren't quite ready to compete. Remember Laura Muir's early races last year when she wasn't ready and got slated on these forums for her average performances. We may also look back and think some athletes peaked too early. Charlie Dobson just yesterday posted on insta about how he's getting ready to open his season. I'm eagerly waiting for the Paris Diamond league start lists to confirm that Max Burgin and Jake Wightman are taking part.

[MysteryBrick]

I'd be surprised if Dobbin or Nelson do much. Wightman has been injured and will start late but shouldn't be a concern, nor should Keely. I fear that Tom Gale may be done, such a talent but brittle.

Some athletes could be starting late after a super busy 2022, but yes, it's time to open now if you are fit...

[philipo]

They cannot all be Injured.The reason that their coaches dont let them run has been a mystery forever to me. The worlds best athletes are well into their seasons in many cases.

[Occasional Hope]

Of our funded athletes no action yet this year from Holly Bradshaw, relay funded Beth Dobbin and Ashleigh Nelson, Molly Caudery, Tom Gale (not competed since 2021 due to that nasty injury), or Jake Heyward. It's only just June but hopefully we will see them at some point. Max Burgin is de to make his season debut soon, hope we won't have the same rollercoaster of brilliance and injuries this year.

Nothing yet on an outdoor track from Keely (who I'm not worried about), Andy Pozzi (poor indoors), Jake Wightman, Adam Gemili, Jodie Williams (and only one 300m race indoors - will she ever get back to her best?), or Charlie Dobson; on in field events Harry Coppell and Naomi Metzger.

Relay funded Emily Diamond was out last year to have a baby but has not shown any signs of a return yet.

[Occasional Hope]

He was a great junior, Euro u20 champion in 2019, and briefly in 2021 it was all looking so good, but honestly I'm starting to wonder if he was a one race wonder as a senior. Apart from Nice, he's never run under 1.45 and he certainly looked awful all last year. I hope to be proved wrong.

Illness of some kind? Long Covid?

[Occasional Hope]

Bayley last competed last July. Maybe he got injured too?