Athletics Qualification to Summer Olympic Games Paris 2024

[Swewi 378]

5 hours ago, Orangehair43 said:

The outcry over British Athletics’ “disgusting” Olympic selection policy has escalated after one of the nation’s leading young athletes accused the governing body of robbing her place in Paris and driving people away from the sport.

Anna Purchase, who has reached the World and European hammer final over the past year and is ‘Paris qualified’ through her world ranking, will be overlooked because she missed, by just 57cm, a separate standard imposed by UK Athletics to prioritise likely medallists and top-eight finishers.

There are 32 places in the women’s hammer competition but Team GB will go unrepresented and 24-year-old Purchase, who is ranked in the world’s top 16, will instead see her place go to a lesser rival from another country.

Purchase, who fears a loss of funding and future bias by speaking out, believes that she would be doing her sport and fellow athletes a disservice by not using her voice to push for change. She joins a quartet of outraged British athletes who spoke this week to Telegraph Sport against an Olympic selection policy that will leave Team GB without anyone in the women’s hammer, women’s shot, women’s discus, men’s 3000m steeplechase and men’s hammer. This is despite having athletes in all of these events who are listed on the World Athletics ‘Road to Paris’ website as ‘qualified by world rankings’.

Sporting legend Martina Navratilova replied to a message about Telegraph Sport’s story on Thursday with the words, “What the heck???”

Posting on Instagram, Purchase confirmed that her Olympic ‘invitation’ would be “declined by British Athletics”, despite her throwing a distance this season that would have reached the last three Olympic finals.

 

“British athletics have not only robbed me of another opportunity to compete, they have robbed me of a dream of being an Olympian,” said Purchase.

“I’m proud to be British. I’m proud to be the British champion. I’m proud of our culture of competition, endeavour and inclusion. Where is this Pride of Britain? I can’t comprehend how this decision and decisions like this align with our cultural values. Should we not be proud to have as many athletes as possible, representing our nation at the Olympic Games?

“We put our lives, careers and financial security on hold to pursue this sport, only to have the opportunity taken away because we are deemed ‘not good enough’ to make the top eight or win a medal in our event.

“If we are dismissed despite being among the best in the world, why would we continue? If money is the factor, let us crowdsource or pay our own way. The current state of British Athletics’ selection … is driving people away and discouraging young athletes. This backward and unsustainable practice will ruin the sport.”

Purchase also highlighted deep concerns about how the governing body have designed and then enforced their selection policy, saying they have “ultimate control”. 

She added: “You can’t have one bad mark as a British athlete without the fear of British Athletics using it against you. There are no checks and balances within British Athletics. I know I am risking loss of funding and future bias for speaking out about this issue; however, I would be doing myself, my fellow athletes, and future athletes a disservice if I didn’t try to make a change. I, like many others, have worked too hard for too long to be let down by the same people who are supposed to be our biggest supporters.”

Shot-putter Amelia Campbell called the policy “disgusting” and said that it was “killing” British athletics while discus thrower Jade Lally said that she was “ashamed” to represent her national federation. 
 

Steeplechaser Phil Norman, who missed the standard by 0.15sec despite posting the best British run in the event for 33 years, said that he had received no offer of help from British Athletics in pursuing his Paris Olympic dream. Campbell, Lally and Norman all now intend to retire, despite being good enough according to their World Athletics’ rankings to be invited to the forthcoming Olympics.

Jack Buckner, the UKA chief executive, warned last year that there would be a shift in Olympic and World policy with likely smaller teams and a particular focus on what he called the “big hitters”. UK Athletics announced a £3.7 million loss in their most recent accounts but have denied that their policy is related to finances. 

The Paris selection policy was first published in July 2023 and part of its rationale was to introduce measurable standards that eliminated more discretionary decisions. In what is a truly global sport of more than 200 affiliated nations, the UKA standard is understood to reflect forecasts of what is needed to reach the top eight of an Olympic event. The British Olympic athletics team will be announced on Friday. UKA say that they do not comment on selection issues.

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/athletics/2024/07/05/british-athletics-selection-policy-row-paris-olympics/

Interesting. Is it British Athletics and not their olympic committe who made the decisions?

 

in Sweden the Swedish athletics association has showed support for the non-selected athletes as at least most of them have been nominated by national team captain Kajsa Bergqvist, but the national olympic committe decided they knew better 

[stepansevs 129]

Czech confirmed another 2 from rankings: long jumper: Meindlschmid and steeplechase: Habarta

[Bearas 521]

 received relocation in women's 400m for Modesta Justė Morauskaitė

[EselTheDonkey 824]

Germany gets another two qualifiers: Velten Schneider (steeplechase) and Nele Weßel (1500 metres)

[Benolympique 2,398]

20 minutes ago, Bearas said:

 received relocation in women's 400m for Modesta Justė Morauskaitė

who is refused quota ?

[Josh 10,455]

Another athlete for 

 

Briana Scott receives a reallocated quota in women’s 5000m. 

[Biathlonfan 623]

25 minutes ago, Benolympique said:

who is refused quota ?

 don't know,didn't say in the post

[Surlympics 728]

19 hours ago, Orangehair43 said:

All confirmed. 

Makes no sense 

[Surlympics 728]

8 hours ago, Orangehair43 said:

The outcry over British Athletics’ “disgusting” Olympic selection policy has escalated after one of the nation’s leading young athletes accused the governing body of robbing her place in Paris and driving people away from the sport.

Anna Purchase, who has reached the World and European hammer final over the past year and is ‘Paris qualified’ through her world ranking, will be overlooked because she missed, by just 57cm, a separate standard imposed by UK Athletics to prioritise likely medallists and top-eight finishers.

There are 32 places in the women’s hammer competition but Team GB will go unrepresented and 24-year-old Purchase, who is ranked in the world’s top 16, will instead see her place go to a lesser rival from another country.

Purchase, who fears a loss of funding and future bias by speaking out, believes that she would be doing her sport and fellow athletes a disservice by not using her voice to push for change. She joins a quartet of outraged British athletes who spoke this week to Telegraph Sport against an Olympic selection policy that will leave Team GB without anyone in the women’s hammer, women’s shot, women’s discus, men’s 3000m steeplechase and men’s hammer. This is despite having athletes in all of these events who are listed on the World Athletics ‘Road to Paris’ website as ‘qualified by world rankings’.

Sporting legend Martina Navratilova replied to a message about Telegraph Sport’s story on Thursday with the words, “What the heck???”

Posting on Instagram, Purchase confirmed that her Olympic ‘invitation’ would be “declined by British Athletics”, despite her throwing a distance this season that would have reached the last three Olympic finals.

 

“British athletics have not only robbed me of another opportunity to compete, they have robbed me of a dream of being an Olympian,” said Purchase.

“I’m proud to be British. I’m proud to be the British champion. I’m proud of our culture of competition, endeavour and inclusion. Where is this Pride of Britain? I can’t comprehend how this decision and decisions like this align with our cultural values. Should we not be proud to have as many athletes as possible, representing our nation at the Olympic Games?

“We put our lives, careers and financial security on hold to pursue this sport, only to have the opportunity taken away because we are deemed ‘not good enough’ to make the top eight or win a medal in our event.

“If we are dismissed despite being among the best in the world, why would we continue? If money is the factor, let us crowdsource or pay our own way. The current state of British Athletics’ selection … is driving people away and discouraging young athletes. This backward and unsustainable practice will ruin the sport.”

Purchase also highlighted deep concerns about how the governing body have designed and then enforced their selection policy, saying they have “ultimate control”. 

She added: “You can’t have one bad mark as a British athlete without the fear of British Athletics using it against you. There are no checks and balances within British Athletics. I know I am risking loss of funding and future bias for speaking out about this issue; however, I would be doing myself, my fellow athletes, and future athletes a disservice if I didn’t try to make a change. I, like many others, have worked too hard for too long to be let down by the same people who are supposed to be our biggest supporters.”

Shot-putter Amelia Campbell called the policy “disgusting” and said that it was “killing” British athletics while discus thrower Jade Lally said that she was “ashamed” to represent her national federation. 
 

Steeplechaser Phil Norman, who missed the standard by 0.15sec despite posting the best British run in the event for 33 years, said that he had received no offer of help from British Athletics in pursuing his Paris Olympic dream. Campbell, Lally and Norman all now intend to retire, despite being good enough according to their World Athletics’ rankings to be invited to the forthcoming Olympics.

Jack Buckner, the UKA chief executive, warned last year that there would be a shift in Olympic and World policy with likely smaller teams and a particular focus on what he called the “big hitters”. UK Athletics announced a £3.7 million loss in their most recent accounts but have denied that their policy is related to finances. 

The Paris selection policy was first published in July 2023 and part of its rationale was to introduce measurable standards that eliminated more discretionary decisions. In what is a truly global sport of more than 200 affiliated nations, the UKA standard is understood to reflect forecasts of what is needed to reach the top eight of an Olympic event. The British Olympic athletics team will be announced on Friday. UKA say that they do not comment on selection issues.

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/athletics/2024/07/05/british-athletics-selection-policy-row-paris-olympics/

Honestly So sad for these athletes. Really defeats the purpose of the Olympic Games 

[Orangehair43 251]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/articles/crgmj2lylv1o