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Derek Miles is on the team, placing first and having achieved the IAAF A standard.
Jeremy Scott is on the team, placing second and having achieved the IAAF A standard.

I checked and both marks are appearing on the IAAF list, so they appear to be valid (both A standard marks were achieved at indoor Bell Athletics meets in May).

Currently, Mark Hollis is the third person on the team, having achieved the B standard.

BUT Nick Mossberg, who placed third, will have until August 8th? (I am double checking the exact date) to chase after the B standard, 5.60. All he has to do is jump 5.60 and he will bump Hollis off the team. It doesn't do Hollis any good to chase standards, even if he hits A standard, Mossberg would take his spot if he gets the B standard.

Getting more interesting, let's say Mossberg does not hit the B standard. Jordan Scott is currently in 5th and does not have the B standard either. Will he get a chance to chase it for that alternate spot? If not, or if he doesn't get it, then 6th place is Jack Whitt who DOES have the B standard.

What a mess!!

Nick is gonna make the B standard!

Muzgar15 wrote:Nick is gonna make the B standard!

I think its definitely possible. He surprised everyone today, he can do it again.

OK I believe that only the top 4 placers have a chance to chase marks, so Jordan would not have the opportunity to chase a mark for that alternate spot. I hate to rule it out completely because USATF is not exactly a paradigm of consistency.

Jeff Coover just pointed out to me that only one B standard athlete can make the trip, so the only way a B athlete not in the top 4 could potentially go would be if Nick did not hit the B standard, and Mark Hollis could not go for some reason.

So if something were to happen to Mark Hollis, and Nick does not hit the standard, Jack Whitt is the next athlete with any standard.

So the next question is what happens if something happens to Derek Miles or Jeremy Scott? You can only take one B standard athlete, so...
- if Nick hits the B standard, and Mark does not hit the A standard, the next A standard athlete is Scott Roth.
- if Nick hits the B and Mark the A, Mark would only get to go in this scenario.
- if Nick does not hit the B and Mark does hit the A, Jack Whitt would be the next B athlete
- if Nick and Mark both do not improve, it's the same as the first scenario, Scott Roth is the next available A athlete.

Jeremy had Derek are not going to suddenly combust. Also, I honestly belive through appeal a committe can choose the other A Standard athlete, Brad Walker. He has a strong case as he's a multi medalist.

rainbowgirl28 wrote:So the next question is what happens if something happens to Derek Miles or Jeremy Scott? You can only take one B standard athlete, so...
- if Nick hits the B standard, and Mark does not hit the A standard, the next A standard athlete is Scott Roth.
- if Nick hits the B and Mark the A, Mark would only get to go in this scenario.
- if Nick does not hit the B and Mark does hit the A, Jack Whitt would be the next B athlete
- if Nick and Mark both do not improve, it's the same as the first scenario, Scott Roth is the next available A athlete.

KLocke wrote:Jeremy had Derek are not going to suddenly combust.

I hope not But it's not like they've never had an injury in their lives either.

Also, I honestly belive through appeal a committe can choose the other A Standard athlete, Brad Walker. He has a strong case as he's a multi medalist.

USATF's men's committee is certainly not known for being consistent about anything, so this is certainly possible. If I were Brad I would go through processing just in case.

Also, regardless of World Champs team selection, all of the athletes without standards should be motivated to get out there and chase them this summer, because the window is already open for marks counting for the Olympics qualifying. We are unlikely to see this situation next year in part because of that bigger window.

I guess it is only in the US, the only vaulter that has a serious chance to win the world championship probably might stay home. As it has been this summer (and winter) only Brad Walker has any chance to beat Steve Hooker and Renaud Lavillenie in Korea. I really like Mark Hollis and Nick Mossberg, but they are definitively not ready for 5,85 !

atlegu wrote:I guess it is only in the US, the only vaulter that has a serious chance to win the world championship probably might stay home.

As much as it sucks to leave Brad Walker home, I would not want John Chaplin picking the team.

I think walker will make the team. The way it sounded when interviewing Bryan Clay who did not finish, he made it sound like he would still get in because no one in the top 4 had the A standard besides Ashton. And the only other person with an A standard in the dec was Jake Arnold, but since Clay is higher on the world list he thinks he would get in. So if the case is the same in the vault, unless someone in the top 3 gets the B standard or better, Walker is in.

To the best of my knowledge, the top 4 placers have top priority to make the team. In the decathlon, you had an A standard, a B standard, and two guys with no standard. You can only take one person with a B standard, and clearly no decathlete is going to go from not having any standard to hitting A standard within a month (and if they did, they would be toast to compete at Worlds). So because looking at the top 4 athletes would only produce an AB combo, they took an A from outside the top 4. I don't know if Clay got the nod because he is ranked higher in the world or because he finished higher than Arnold. If Mike Morrison had hit A standard and been second, Clay would not be going to Worlds.

The only way Walker has a chance of making the team is if Derek or Jeremy get hurt.

I know this is "the US system", and the system works fine when you have 10 athletes among top 15 in the world (like for 100 meter hurdles women). However when you don't have enough athletes making the A-standards, the US-system is meaningless. All other countries want to send athletes that can win or at least take medals. It is sad for Brad Walker and it is sad for international Pole vault.

Jenn Suhr for instance should have been on the team since february. Then she could focus on get rid of injuries and prepare for Korea the same way as her competitors from other countries. Having her to vault with medicines etc. is not just unhealthy but also stupid. She can win, while the others might be number 5 on a lucky day.

Let's think that Renaud Lavillenie should get some small hamstring problems just before the French championship. France already have two other jumpers with the A-standard and one with B. I can guarantee you that Lavillenie would sit happy on the side watching the competition, and knowing that he will compete in Korea whatsoever.

(If you have four athletes with the A-standard, you are allowed to list them all and decide which three that should compete just before the meet)