Brad Walker's Comments on Preselected US Olympic Team

[ADTF Academy]

Watch this video and what is everyones opinion on moving to a pre selected team instead of a meet to determine who goes.


http://www.flocasts.org/flotrack/speake ... 2&vid=8888

[rainbowgirl28]

If you're not ready to jump well at Trials you're not ready to go. I think our golds and silvers at the last two Olympics on the men's side show that the system works.

We are fortunate to be so deep on the men's side. It's too bad countries like us, Germany, and Russia can't take more vaulters per country, but that's how it goes.

[jcoover]

If you're not ready to jump well at Trials you're not ready to go.

I agree with this to an extent. I have, lately, been of the opinion that there needs to be a way to get an athlete into the games who might have a bad day the day of the trials. In an event as unpredictable as the vault, I believe there needs to be a different selection process.

The best way that I have thought of for this is to hold the olympic trials, take the top two placing athletes automatically, and then select a third. What if Brad Walker, surely the USA's best chance to win gold this year, were to show up to the trials sick or were to run into pole issues and no height. You only get three jumps. Every vaulter in the world has no heighted when they felt that they were "ready to go" due to various, sometimes uncontrollable circumstances.

Under this system, there would still be a chance for a dark horse to come up for an automatic bid to the games, but there would be essentially no way that at least our top ranked athlete wasn't competing.

Thats my two cents anyway. Thoughts?!

[achtungpv]

What if a top ranked athlete has an injury they hide until they are selected and aren't fit to compete but still wanted the OG on their resume?

How do you break a tie for selecting 3 guys if 5+ are within 5-10cm of one another?

What do you do if you have 6m vaulter with a very poor championship record but a 5.85 guy that always finds himself in medal contention? Which do you choose for an auto spot?

How do you prevent bogus marks? What marks do you take? By requiring marks to be set in certain meets, you then have to assure meet directors invite all potential olympians not to mention pay for travel costs to be fair.

Who makes the selection? USATF bureaucrats? The official OG track coaching staff that has minimal knowledge of most of the athletes? A committee of elite vault coaches some of whom most likely would have vested personal/financial interest in certain athletes being selected?

Ask any 4th-10th ranked guy in any event if they want selection-by-committee. I'd guess 100% would say no.

If you are an emerging elite do you want selection by committee? I'd guess 100% would say no.

If you are a perennial top 10-15 US ranked vaulter and it's selection by committee do you continue to invest in your career? Most would probably not. The OG is what it's about and the opportunity to compete for a OG team spot probably keeps a lot of the talent in the sport.

The system is perfectly fine.

[CowtownPV]

I think most coaches and athletes would rather compete for a spot than have someone pick the team. You can deal with getting beat head to head but not being picked would be hard for me. Look at all the agruements over who got to jump on stage at Reno over the years. It would be really hard to agree on who should be on the team.

[SlickVT]

I think I have said this before, but I think that a four-week trial system would be perfect.

Four weeks, four meets, the winner, or highest not-yet qualified vaulter gets a ticket. Fourth week determines alternate.

This allows for weather, different training cycles, and four top-notch meets in the heart of the qualifying season.

My opinion... doesn't mean much.

[ADTF Academy]

Who would pay for this type of system? Where would the meets be located at? Would the top 15 or 20 or 30 vaulters be invited to the meets. What they be able to use life time best to be invited or season bests. Wouldn't this lengthen a vaulters season having to be ready for 5 meets (4 qualifying meets and olympics) compared to 2 meets as it is set now.

I will speak of this young man because he trains under me.

Take Mark Hollis as an example.

Has already jumped 5.75, 5.71, 5.65, 5.51, 5.45 this year. He is under no contract with anyone. Just graduated from college and traveling becomes a fun expenditure at times as well as getting into meets or better yet finding meets. Would an athlete like this be able to make the trip to 4 long distance meets if no one is paying his way. Why keep jumping.

Under any kind of selection system would he have been given a shot due to the fact in Feb. he was only jumping 5.25 range.

The only Visa series meet that has the vault this year is Prefontaine for the men. As many know the meet is this upcoming week and despite the fact Mark got invited and we will be attending the meet, others like him who many people may not know about especially if they didn't jump at a D1 how would they stand a chance in a selection system.

What about all the other events would they do the same thing?

Our entire championship system in the us is based on being able to perform on a given day. Rather it is the state meet in high school athlete, national championship meet college athletes or the national championships (olympic trials) for elite athletes.

If by the time you move up the ranks as a track athlete you are not use to this or as a coach you can't plain for this type of system get out of the sport.

Has many people had a bad championship meet even I have back in my days of competing but why penalize those that have a good day. To say what a shame the favorite didn't win is like saying well you might have won but your still not the best. What a slap in the face

[SlickVT]

They wouldn't be mandatory... show up for one or four or none.

Yikes... it was just a thought.

[ADTF Academy]

was not an attack sorry!!!!

[SlickVT]

No worries!

[vaultmd]

I'm in favor of the selection committee as long as it only has one member and it's me.