Athletics EAA European Championships 2024

[mpjmcevoy 362]

6 minutes ago, Noorderling29 said:

In their statement about resolving the issue created by the French Association, EEA states that there will be no further replacements. So only the French non-nominations will be replaced, no others.

I think that's fair enough, given that it was specifically a screw up by the French Federation. Mischance over individual nominations is an occupational hazzard, but FFA had a systemwide brainfade.

[Epic Failure 355]

It's a bit of a shame that there isn't a formal replacement list for athletes anyway. Would it really be difficult to have, say, 4 athletes per event on notice that they are first in line for a place in case of withdrawal?

 

We've seen today several GBR athletes pull out, whether it is injury (Hughes) or a change of plans to completely go for Paris (Hudson-Smith).

 

If the next eligible athlete in a formal list could get to Rome before Friday, why not let them try? Better that than an empty lane.

 

Obviously there has to be a cut off time *eventually*, but we're still 4 days away from the first event of the week. I find it difficult to believe that anyone in Europe couldn't get to Rome in 4 days.

[Faramir 367]

Athletes "changing plans" 3 days before a big competition with restricted number access is equally as shitty. Just set a cut-off date and anyone who is registered by that time must be present, or provide a medical certificate for the injury or "injury" and not compete for a month or so. 

[Epic Failure 355]

41 minutes ago, Faramir said:

Athletes "changing plans" 3 days before a big competition with restricted number access is equally as shitty. Just set a cut-off date and anyone who is registered by that time must be present, or provide a medical certificate for the injury or "injury" and not compete for a month or so. 

I agree it isn't ideal. But I have limited sympathy for the Champs themselves or any kind of rule they put in like that. It's insane that we're having European Champs 6 weeks before the Olympics, and 2-3 weeks before national trials for many teams.

 

If they were desperate to have Euros every 2 years, they could at least put it *after* the Olympics. Otherwise they are making athletes risk injury here ahead of what could be the single biggest event of their lives. I don't blame an athlete if they are unsure whether they want to risk that.

 

And, if they had a list of replacements like I'm suggesting, it wouldn't matter. It's not like Hudson-Smith withdrew on the morning of the race. There's plenty enough time to get someone to Rome to fill that spot.

 

Edited June 3 by Epic Failure

[Noorderling29 167]

I really wonder if many countries hold trials. Trials only make sense when a country has a significant number of events with more than 3 athletes that are eligible for qualification. Most countries won’t have that. A European championship gives athletes a chance to go up against good competition, and perhaps realize the minimum, and also possibly some non qualified relays to try for one of the 2 time qualifications.
 

In 2021 we had one event with more than 3 qualifying athletes (marathon for men, so no trial anyway), this year we have 2 events with 3 posssible qualifiers (W Shotput, heptathlon) none with realistically more than 3.

Edited June 3 by Noorderling29

[Faramir 367]

I wouldn't feel sympathy for them even if the Championships were held 1 week before the Olympics and in Iceland. Nobody is forcing top-tier athletes to compete, they just have to make a choice before a certain date, like for everything else in life with restricted number access.

[Noorderling29 167]

4 minutes ago, Noorderling29 said:

I really wonder if many countries hold trials. Trials only make sense when a country has a significant number of events with more than 3 athletes that are eligible for qualification. Most countries won’t have that. A European championship gives athletes a chance to go up against good competition, and perhaps realize the minimum, and also possibly some non qualified relays to try for one of the 2 time qualifications.
 

In 2021 we had one event with more than 3 qualifying athletes (marathon for men, so no trial anyway), this year we have 2 events with 3 posssible qualifiers (W Shotput, heptathlon) none with realistically more than 3.

Might add, in both named events we do have a 4th athlete, currently just outside qualifying.

[Jan Linha 590]

Alright guys. As I was wondering, it happened. As  Tobias Montler has withdrawn from ECH, first below the line,  Petr Meindlschmid was officially added to the entries as Czech Athletic Federation confirmed today on their website. So maybe generally, those athletes who withdraw are eventually replaced by those below the line after all....... 

[Epic Failure 355]

9 minutes ago, Faramir said:

I wouldn't feel sympathy for them even if the Championships were held 1 week before the Olympics and in Iceland. Nobody is forcing top-tier athletes to compete, they just have to make a choice before a certain date, like for everything else in life with restricted number access.

If I buy a ticket to an event with limited capacity and then decide the week before that I want to do something else, that's on me. I lose my entry fee but that's my decision. If there is an entry fee for this, I fully support GBR being fined for it.

 

What you are advocating is that I should be additionally punished for doing so. That's ridiculous.

 

If someone else wants to go in my place, I should be able to sell my ticket, as most things let you do these days. Or the venue can decide to let someone else in if they see that there is space. Which is what I'm suggesting should happen.

 

 

[Epic Failure 355]

18 minutes ago, Noorderling29 said:

I really wonder if many countries hold trials. Trials only make sense when a country has a significant number of events with more than 3 athletes that are eligible for qualification. Most countries won’t have that. A European championship gives athletes a chance to go up against good competition, and perhaps realize the minimum, and also possibly some non qualified relays to try for one of the 2 time qualifications.
 

In 2021 we had one event with more than 3 qualifying athletes (marathon for men, so no trial anyway), this year we have 2 events with 3 posssible qualifiers (W Shotput, heptathlon) none with realistically more than 3.

Most European countries that I'm aware of have their national championships in late June-early July. I'm not sure how many of them are actually trials but certainly the UK champs are always the World/Olympic trials in the years where those events are happening. 

 

I'm absolutely in favour of athletes having a European Championship generally for good levels of competition. I just think the timing has been problematic every year that they've had it since they moved from a 4 year cycle to a 2 year cycle which meant that it started colliding with the Olympics in 2012.

 

It would have been better if they had it colliding with the Worlds, frankly. The Olympics are the peak of the sport still. Then the Worlds and then the Europeans. If you are going to have 2 of the 3 happen in the same year, make it the 2 latter events.