British athletics name 72-strong team for doha world championships

[larkim]

I'm still hopeful the rankings will take off and bed in a little, based on seeing how well they work in some sports like tennis for example. The challenge for athletics is that there is no finer and more definitive statement than "the fastest in the world this year", even if that time occurs at a relatively minor meeting, whereas in tennis terms even the most "winningest" player might have won lots of lower tier tournaments but can't really use that to justify a high position in commentators' esteem.

I do think they'll eventually start referring to athletes in terms of their current rankings, perhaps moreso when referring to those outside the top 5 where it's likely that times / distances / heights are the more relevant current determiner. IAAF just need to embed it into overlay graphics at major events.

I still think there is a huge opportunity for things like national champion to be made visible too to help spectators identify with athletes, in the same way that cycling does. Doesn't have to be a whole running vest, but something which they can wear with pride to distinguish, say, the Kenyan national champ from the other Nike kits etc. I was interested to hear a couple of days ago that in cycling some of the biggest fines are levied by the UCI where riders fail to wear (or incorrectly wear) their national jerseys.

[Loop-guru]

A Nearly team for the UK Women at the world champs in Doha

A full team of athletes who missed out due to lack of form, injury, choice of event, decision to bypass the worlds in favour of Tokyo, declining years, poor performance at the trials etc.

Team has been chosen on the basis of the last two years performances .

The only caveat is that they have to be good enough or a whisker away from the A standard to gain selection so it has’nt been possible in every event.

I have noted after each athletes name their best performance for 2019 and 2018.

Women

100M -

Imani Lansiqout – 11.09, 11.11
Jodie Williams – 11.17, 11.50
Krystal Awuah – 11.27, 11.16

Can one of Imani and Jodie now compete now that Dina has produced one of the performances of the year so far with her Diamond League victory.

200M –

Amy Hunt – 22.42, 24.55
Bianca Williams – 23.19, 22.60
Ashleigh Nelson – 22.85, 22.94

400M –
Jodie Williams – 51.22, NT
Zoe Clark – 52.18, 51.36

800M –
Laura Muir – 1.58.42, 1.59.09
Sarah Mcdonald – 1.59.91, 2.00.88
Hannah Seagrave – 2.00.18, 2.02.52

1500M –
Laura Weightman – 4.00.63, 4.01.76
Eilish McColgan – 4.00.97, 4.01.98
Mellisa Courtney – 4.05.37, 4.03.44

5000M –
Laura Muir – 14.52.02, NT
Amy Eloise-Neale – 15.11.11, 15.24.16
Stephanie Twell – 15.13.6, 15.18.77

10,000M-
Alice Wright – 31.56.52, 32.15.73


Marathon –
Lily Partridge – 2.31.53, 2.29.54

100M H –
No One

400MH –
Eilidh Doyle – NT, 54.90
Jessie Knight – 56.04, 58.00

3000M S/C –
No one

Field events

High Jump
Katarina Johnson-Thompson – 1.96, 1.93

Long Jump –
Katarina Johnson-Thompson – 6.85, 6.71
Jazmin Sawyers – 6.71, 6.86

Triple Jump –
Naomi Ogbeta – 14.05, 14.15

Hammer –
Sophie Hitchen – 67.51,73.48

Bubbling under –
200m –
Daryll Neita
400m –
Amy Alcock, Yasmin Liverpool
800m –
Adelle Tracy
5000m –
Rosie Clarke
Sarah Inglis
Long Jump –
Lorraine Ugen
Shot –
Amelia Stickler

Next up the standards for the 2020 olympics have been launched and they are mega tough so how many of our current crop will make it. The standards have been set very high so that half the entrants can be picked via achieving the ‘A’ standard but the remaining places will be achieved via invitation. If this is the case and UK athletics sticks to it’s approach of declining all invitations unless they have a chance of a podium finish we could be looking at a much smaller squad next year. I remember when there was a “B” standard which allowed countries to send one athlete if no-one made the “A” standard which was a system I liked and would bring back.

[Ladyloz]

I usually keep a tab on qualifiers. So far there are 38 athletes with the Olympic standards and a few of these athletes have standards in more than 1 event. In comparison there are 76 who achieved qualifying marks for Doha so exactly double.

I'd expect a handful of athletes to hit the Olympic Standard by the end of Doha so we should have 40+ by then. And by the end of June next year I'm expecting a final figure of 50+. I

Thankfully British Athletics are being a bit more generous when it comes to accepting athletes who qualify by rankings for Tokyo. There is also a developing athletes clause. I don't think they'll select everyone who qualifies by ranking but probably the best majority, whereas this year they'll decline most invites with perhaps the odd exception.

[whatwouldIknow]

dditionally Bethan Davies got the IAAF qualifying standard for the 20km walk of 1:33:30 (1:31:53-Lugano (SUI)-11.03.2018 within the period required by the IAAF (after March 5th 2018) but outside the UKA mandated date of 1st of May 2018.

[Loop-guru]

Event - Stronger, weaker or the same - Next up - Discus

Last time round Nicholas Percy threw 56.93 to effectively come 29th out of 32.

This time round we have no one

Conclusion - Weaker

[Loop-guru]

Event - Stronger, weaker or the same - Next up - Long Jump

2017 - No one competed with 7.91 good enough to make the final.

This time round no one

Conclusion - The same

[Loop-guru]

Event - Stronger, weaker or the same - Next up - 1500M Women

Last time round we had 4 competing, Laura Muir came 4th in the final followed by Laura Weightman in 6th, One of the stand out performances by the british team. Jessica Judd and Sarah McDonald made the semis, Jessica setting her PB which still stands in the heats.

This time round we have a stronger team based on times achieved but possibly look weaker. Laura is coming back from injury and may have to race herself fitter in a very narrow timeframe. Also the heat in Doha could be a massive factor.

Prediction Laura to make final 5th or 6th, Sarah to go one better and make final and Gemma to make the semis.

Conclusion - Stronger based on times and could surprise with a medal

[treadwater1]

Jaz Sawyers and Lorraine Ugen are both within the top 32 cut off point on the road to Doha lists and are due invites from the IAAF. Not an easy choice for BA. Ugen has been 5th at the last two world championships, had the world lead last year, won world indoor silver a few year ago. Sawyers was 8th in Rio, 4th in Berlin along with some good minor medals at Euros and Commonwealths. Sawyers finishing ahead of Ugen at the British champs could be crucial

[treadwater1]

I've had a look at them for some events. Interesting (and flawed) but ultimately only really meaningful for those athletes who are going to be on the cusp of qualification for major championships.

As I mentioned a couple of months ago, yes, commentators are still referring to the season performance list when they say what world ranking an athlete has. And unless the IAAF provides them with the info on their Commentator Information System I just don't see them taking the time to calculate what athletes need to do to move up the rankings (even when the rankings start to be used for qualification purposes.)

I think it would gain a lot more traction if there were significant financial incentives for athletes to finish the year ranked 2nd instead of 4th or ranked 8th instead of 13th. But, with 40-odd disciplines that's not likely to ever happen.

I think it will be difficult for commentators to navigate through the diamond league rankings, world rankings and world performance lists before races, it hard enough for die-hard fans to keep up. But of the three the world rankings should be the best, in theory, at illustrating who the best athletes in the world are, it rewards consistency pretty well.

[Christy93]

It is a no-brainer. The question you ask is would either of them at their best have a chance of a medal?
Sawyers no. Ugen yes.

Have to agree; Ugen has that exciting potential to just pull out a 6.90+ and it'll be worth taking the chance on that.

[SMGOtto]

I personally would prefer KJT to have the 3rd spot if she wants it (timetable would allow). I'd say she would have a better chance of a medal than Sawyers or Ugen in the LJ.

[Jeremy1066]

Sawyers and KJT would perform well for GBR, but Ugen could pull out a big one on the day. There are signs she's progressing based on Brussels.

[treadwater1]

KJT would be the best option, but presumably she doesn’t want to do it otherwise she would have been named in the initial squad. Ugen’s 2nd and 3rd best comps are better than Sawyers this year, but she still produces a lot of fouls at crucial times, personally I can’t see either of them threatening for medals going on current form. If I had to pick an athlete that would produce their best on the day and maybe get into the top 8, I’d say Sawyers

[carterhatch]

but what a great depth to the event from our ladies... Ms. Ugen achieved a 6.70 at the Brussels Diamond League so that is 5 athletes on or over that milestone, and it would be a great pity if only two got to compete at Doha

[larkim]

When do the IAAF invites start being circulated? If previous form is anything to go by, we won't know about the invites until after some athletes have been (in their view) unfairly left at home despite being invited.

[larkim]

Presuambly there is an embargo on releasing the names of the accepted invites then until the whole cycle of offer / accept / new offer / new acceptance etc has gone through. Should hear by the end of this week though for certain, thanks - I should have read the doc!!

[larkim]

Thinking about this logically, if other teams are only just declaring, so field sizes are only just emerging, the IAAF can't do it's "quota" thing based on the timetable they set themselves, can they?

[Afrothletics]

Interestingly Michael Obasuyi of Belgium has received an IAAF invite for the 110mH and had it accepted - his best this season is 13.54 - same time as Cameron Fillery, meaning he'll get an invite too. Wonder if he fits the bill of 'podium potential' for British Athletics??