> On Tue, 19 Jun 2001, Michael Contopoulos wrote:
> Anyone notice that they have let Ryan Hall into the 1500m as the last
> qualifier. Looks like they let the a guy in front of him in also with a
> 3:42.6 when the time was 3:41 something. Ritz's was only like .16 of the Q
> time not a full second...they seem to be bending all the rules to get the
> BIG THREE into the meet. Later, Rolin
Assuming this info is accurate, I say more power to them. I don't know how
many entrants there are in the 1500m and the 5000m, so perhaps they are just
"filling the fields".
Having just watched the U.S. Open in golf, it becomes clear how many
things they do that would be good for track & field to emulate. They are
smart enough to leave open the possibility of offering exemptions to an
athlete who's presence will benefit the sport - like Jack Nicklaus in past
years. Instead of the contention that so often pervades anything like this
in track and field, you get most of the other players, as well as the media
applauding such a decision. And you also get guys turning down exemptions
when they don't think they deserve it. And you never get guys ASKING for
exemptions - they are respectful of the process and figure that if they are
not asked, they don't deserve it.
In fairness to USATF, the athletes have made it pretty clear over the years
that they are not in favor of something like this. I think it would be
great to have up to two allowed exemptions per event, granted by USATF or
even better by the athletes advisory committee itself. But based on past
history, there may never be the kind of mutual respect and humility between
USATF and the athletes that the PGA, the USGA and the golfers currently
have - without that, the exemption concept is probably doomed to failure.
- Ed Parrot
