ATHLETICS
Amateur, Simple, Asinine… that’s SA selectors
‘Bumbling buffoonery’ blamed for Athletics SA omission of 13 of 14 athletes who qualified for the world championship
The real reason behind Athletics SA’s (ASA’s) controversial world championship selection policy has emerged: bumbling buffoonery by administrators. A document giving ASA’s reasons for omitting 13 of 14 athletes who qualified for the global showpiece that starts in London next Friday is fraught with rudimentary errors, say shocked athletics insiders. The document, issued by Athletics SA CEO Richard Stander, states that "based on current form, the athletes below, if selected, will not make it past the heats to the semifinals". But it turns out ASA based its decision on the wrong data, and 10 of those athletes have in fact produced performances in 2016 that would have qualified for semifinals, or made the top 16, at the past world championships in Beijing in 2015 and at the Rio Olympics. ASA’s estimated marks to make the top 16 were in several cases actually what was needed to make top eight or better or, in two instances, to win medals. Its 1hr 28min 21sec estimation for the women’s 2...
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