A's and B's at the Trials and the Games
The Letter system at the Trials and Olympic Games
Doug Speck - DyeStatCal
 
photos by Kirby Lee - Image of Sport and Rich Gonzalez
Straight A's in our book but we are not doing the Grading - Christine Babcock and Jordan Hasay
and the National and International senior system at work this week in Eugene, Oregon
Track and Field is a great sport compared to others in that it is usually settled out there on the playing field,
with some slight nuances due to politics, but usually it is cut and dried to the point that the best folks are
on the victory stands in the different competitions.
The Olympic Trials and Games seem to have a rating scale that ties into “A’s and “B’s” that is bantered
about a bit here and there in discussions but probably should be examined in one place for all as we see
those ratings quite significant in their ability to affect the participation and careers of many in our sport.
The Olympic Trials this week in Eugene Oregon serves the purpose of selecting the US Olympic squad for
Beijing. There are “A” and “B” standards for the Olympic Games. A country must have all three of its athletes
meet the ”A” standard if they are to have the maximum number of participants in an event. They are allowed
one athlete per event if they have met the “B” standard, with those standards listed below.
 | The XXIX Olympic Games
Beijing, China 8 - 24 August 2008
6. QUALIFICATION STANDARDS - MEN |
| Event | A | B | | 100 Metres | 10.21 | 10.28 | | 200 Metres | 20.59 | 20.75 | | 400 Metres | 45.55 | 45.95 | | 800 Metres | 1:46.00 | 1:47.00 | | 1500 Metres | 3:36.60 | 3:39.00 | | 5000 Metres | 13:21.50 | 13:28.00 | | 10,000 Metres | 27:50.00 | 28:10.00 | | Marathon | 2:15:00 | 2:18:00 | | 3000 Metres Steeplechase | 8:24.60 | 8:32.00 | | 110 Metres Hurdles | 13.55 | 13.72 | | 400 Metres Hurdles | 49.20 | 49.50 | | 20 Kilometres Race Walk | 1:23:00 | 1:24:30 | | 50 Kilometres Race Walk | 4:00:00 | 4:07:00 | | Decathlon | 8000pts | 7700pts | | High Jump | 2.30 | 2.27 | | Pole Vault | 5.70 | 5.55 | | Long Jump | 8.20 | 8.05 | | Triple Jump | 17.10 | 16.80 | | Shot Put | 20.30 | 19.80 | | Discus Throw | 64.50 | 62.50 | | Hammer Throw | 78.50 | 74.00 | | Javelin Throw | 81.80 | 77.80 | | 4x100 Metres Relay | Best 16 National Teams | | 4x400 Metres Relay | Best 16 National Teams | | | |
| The XXIX Olympic Games
Beijing, China 8 - 24 August 2008
6. QUALIFICATION STANDARDS - WOMEN |
| Event | A | B | | 100 Metres | 11.32 | 11.42 | | 200 Metres | 23.00 | 23.20 | | 400 Metres | 51.55 | 52.35 | | 800 Metres | 2:00.00 | 2:01.30 | | 1500 Metres | 4:07.00 | 4:08.00 | | 5000 Metres | 15:09.00 | 15:24.00 | | 10,000 Metres | 31:45.00 | 32:20.00 | | Marathon | 2:37:00 | 2:42.00 | | 3000 Metres Steeplechase | 9:46.00 | 9:55.00 | | 100 Metres Hurdles | 12.96 | 13.11 | | 400 Metres Hurdles | 55.60 | 56.50 | | 20 Kilometres Race Walk | 1:33:30 | 1:38:00 | | Heptathlon | 6000pts | 5800pts | | High Jump | 1.95 | 1.91 | | Pole Vault | 4.45 | 4.30 | | Long Jump | 6.72 | 6.60 | | Triple Jump | 14.20 | 14.00 | | Shot Put | 18.35 | 17.20 | | Discus Throw | 61.00 | 59.00 | | Hammer Throw | 69.50 | 67.00 | | Javelin Throw | 60.50 | 56.00 | | 4x100 Metres Relay | Best 16 National Teams | | 4x400 Metres Relay | Best 16 National Teams | | | |
This becomes interesting when some who finishes in the top places in a meet such as the Olympic Trials
has not met the standard. The Women’s 800 was an example this week in Eugene where the first two finishers,
Hazel Clark and Alice Schmidt, had already met the “A” standard of 2:00.00 (you can meet the standard in a
wide time frame other than your Olympic Trials race), but third place finisher Kameisha Bennett at 2:01.20 had
not met that "A" standard that allows the US three entrants here or in another meet in the time frame (goes back
to Jan 1, 2007 for track and relay events). She had met the “B” standard for the Olympics of 2:01.30, but since
the US wished to enter three athletes all had to meet the “A” standard. With entry deadlines and all this was
the final chance for Bennett to meet the standard, so she had to give up her team spot to Nicole Teter, who
raced 2:01.30 here for fourth, but had an “A” level qualifier from May of 2007 when she ran 1:59.91. Bit strange
you may say, but that is how it is done.
This particularly becomes interesting in the Distance races and in some of the Field Events, especially where
there is a good sized time gap between the US Qualifying Championships and the entry due date for an
International Championship competition. While the 2008 Olympic Trials are the final chance for an "A" Qualifer
this summer championship season (see Bennett example above), in a typical year some folks who placed high but do
not have a "standards mark" travel around trying to find a quality competition where they could achieve an “A” (or
maybe a "B") level mark in their event. Often you do not know who is on the actual team until a ways after the
national qualifying meet, which becomes a bit confusing. Those top standards are pretty tough with folks often
traveling around the world in a desperate search for good competition to help them to perform up to those top standards.
A's and B's of the US Trials
Different “A” and “B” standards also have a US Olympic Trials implication as far as entries that are gained to
this week’s Eugene meet, as there is a separate group of those standards to gain entry to the Oregon competition.
The meet in Eugene is the qualifier for the Beijing Olympic Games, but also attempts to duplicate the competitive
situation in China where there are multiple rounds in some of the events. More is needed than one all-out effort
in the top International Championship meets, with as many as four races in something like the 100 meters before
a champion is crowned. This grind of the rounds during the meet is something that has to be measured as one
decides on their team, and it is why some events in Eugene seem to be held to eliminate just a couple of participants
along the way. To fill out the fields for the Eugene competition the organizers also have “A” and “B” standards which
are below:
Qualifying window: January 1, 2007 - June 15, 2008 Men | | "A" | "B" | Field
Size | | 100m | 10.07 | 10.28 | 32 | | 200m | 20.30 | 20.75 | 30 | | 400m | 45.00 | 45.95 | 28 | | 800m | 1:46.50 | 1:48.50 | 30 | | 1,500m | 3:39.00 | 3:43.00 | 30 | | 5,000m | 13:33.00 | 13:50.00 | 24 | | 10,000m | 28:15.00 | 29:00.00 | 24 | | 110m Hurdles | 13.40 | 14.00 | 32 | | 400m Hurdles | 49.00 | 51.00 | 28 | | 3,000m Steeplechase | 8:32.00 | 8:45.00 | 24 | | 20 km Race Walk | 1:36:00 | -- | 16 | | High Jump | 2.28 m | 2.20 m | 24 | | Pole Vault | 5.70 m | 5.50 m | 24 | | Long Jump | 8.05 m | 7.80 m | 24 | | Triple Jump | 16.66 m | 15.80 m | 24 | | Shot Put | 20.00 m | 18.60 m | 24 | | Discus Throw | 63.75 m | 58.80 m | 24 | | Hammer Throw | 72.00 m | 64.00 m | 24 | | Javelin Throw | 77.00 m | 70.00 m | 24 | | Decathlon | 7900 pts. | 7600 pts. | 18 | Women | | "A" | "B" | Field
Size | | 100m | 11.13 | 11.35 | 32 | | 200m | 22.80 | 23.25 | 30 | | 400m | 51.45 | 52.60 | 28 | | 800m | 2:01.50 | 2:06.50 | 30 | | 1,500m | 4:10.00 | 4:19.50 | 30 | | 5,000m | 15:28.00 | 16:00.00 | 24 | | 10,000m | 32:45.00 | 34:00.00 | 24 | | 100m Hurdles | 12.85 | 13.25 | 32 | | 400m Hurdles | 56.00 | 57.80 | 28 | | 3,000m Steeplechase | 10:00.00 | 10:20.00 | 24 | | 20 km Race Walk | 1:48:00 | 1:50:00 | 16 | | High Jump | 1.86 m | 1.83 m | 24 | | Pole Vault | 4.47 m | 4.20 m | 24 | | Long Jump | 6.53 m | 6.43 m | 24 | | Triple Jump | 13.50 m | 13.10 m | 24 | | Shot Put | 17.50 m | 17.00 m | 24 | | Discus Throw | 59.00 m | 56.00 m | 24 | | Hammer Throw | 66.80 m | 63.00 m | 24 | | Javelin Throw | 54.50 m | 50.50 m | 24 | | Heptathlon | 5750 pts. | 5500 pts. | 18 |
California’s prep 1600 stars Jordan Hasay and Christine Babcock were in the works in a serious way in the metric
version of their four lapper, the 1500 meters. There is an automatic “A” standard of 4:10.00 for 1500 meters that
guarantees an individual entry into the trials, with a “B” standard of 4:19.50 that allows the field to fill out to the 30
athletes that are desired for the Eugene meet. The 1500 event will, as the Beijing Games, have three rounds so
thirty athletes are desired here to duplicate that schedule instead of just running one final of a select few. Both Hasay
(4:16.98) and Babcock (4:16.42) achieved the “B” standard so were not guaranteed entry, but were placed on a list of
possible participants. With the declaration of intent to participate, something most prep meets are not involved with
and a very last minute feature of these competitions, one did not know where the athletes fell on the list of thirty exactly
until June 30th (the 1500 date of declarations) for their July 3rd prelim race. The reason declarations are done is so
that prelim heats can be set up fairly and balanced, as seeding a couple of weeks out and having an injury or two or
someone not showing up for one reason or another really having the potential to throw a qualifying formula off a great
deal. Babcock fell on the 1500 meter list at a level where she was assured a competitive spot if all declared, with Hasay
interestingly added a day prior to the June 3rd heats when Nicole Blood (formerly of Royal HS in Simi her senior year),
and Nicole Teter (West Valley HS of Cottonwood as a prep) both scratched, allowing their younger state-mate into the
competition.
These standards are used in other than the Olympics. At the World Junior Track and Field Championships coming
up in early July it appears Alitta Boyd (Moreau HS of Hayward), the winner of the US Junior Nationals in Columbus,
Ohio in late June not having a wind-legal mark of 42-03.75, the tough standard if a nation is to have two participants in
that World level meet. Boyd won the US Junior meet at 43-01w and does not have a wind-legal mark of 42-03.75 this
season, so her spot will be taken by Vashti Thomas (Mt. Pleasant, with an earlier in the year effort that was wind-legal
of over 43 feet. It appeared Boyd was not given a grace period after the Junior Championship meet to meet the qualifying
standard in another meet, with the final US Junior teams not posted yet.
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