selections

[fish]

Just noticed in another topic that gross was talking about time-trial performances required for selection. Out of interest is there anything up anywhere about the criteria for selection for the senior team for any of the races this year.

fish

[Gross]

Fish,I found this in the minutes of the international committee:

Speed and fitness levels were going to be a particularly important factor in the
next four World Championships. It was recognised that every member of the team
would benefit from increased fitness levels.
It was agreed that we will give the athletes an opportunity to demonstrate their
fitness levels and improvement by using a series of ‘time trials’ as part of ‘All
known Form’ in the selection process. The men’s course would be approximately
40 minutes and women 30 minutes.
There will be time trials for the athletes on the 4th February and 3rd June during the
domestic training weekends, and the 3rd April, the Monday following the British
Championships weekend; the later two being over the same course. Maps
outlining the courses would be available for athletes to train over the courses; the
date for the maps availability would be announced at the Inaugural.


But haven't seen it anywhere else.

[Simon]

There is a flyer and route map for the 3rd April event on the BOF site (both are pdf files).

[Becks]

Are the time trials on squad weekends going to count anything towards actual selection? If so, is that not a little unfair? Fair enough if they're just practice, we can all draw a trial and run a course of our own backs, but are they actually being taken into account at all? If no one knows I'll try and find out when I make the long trip to Darley Dale on Wednesday.

[Gross]

From the minutes of November 2005 International Committee meeting it would appear so. It does seem a bit strange & unfair for two obvious reasons:

1. There doesn't appear to be any obvious published selection information (except , I guess, stuff given to the squad) and one of these time trial dates is past... Feb 4th.

2. Two of these time trials are based on demestic squad weekends and therefore would apparently exclude anyone not in the Squad.

Jon X is a regular contributor to Nope & is also one of the 3 senior selectors... perhaps he could comment?

[Nails]

As far as I gather the Time Trial on the 3rd April will be the only one used as part of 'All Known Form' -but to be honest this is only going to be used if there is some difficulty in choosing between two people for the last place in a team. At the end of the day if you can't get selected in the forest it doesn't matter how fast you are!

[Becks]

Aye that was what I was assuming - it'd be good if Jon X could confirm the situation though?

[Gross]

As far as I gather the Time Trial on the 3rd April will be the only one used as part of 'All Known Form' -

That's not what the IC minutes say.... but I suspect it's not anything to get wound up about because as Nails also says you need to do it in the forest. What is good though is that these trials show a recognition that speed will count over the next few years at major international races.... take WOC 2007 for example (Kyiv) , it's fast, fast, fast.... read the reports here

http://woc2007.blogspot.com/

[Gross]

Following some research.... a little birdy has told me that the only Time Trial will now be that on April 3rd after BOC.... I look forward to seeing the times / results.

[Rach]

don't worry to everyone who wasn't at the d weekend, there definately wasn't any time trainling going on, just good quality sprint racing.

as i understand it the time trial after the british is part of all know form, and also something we can do again and again to assess our own fitness levels...