UK Women's 800m

[Kermit]

Picking meadows would be the ultimate madness, but nothing surprises me from the selectors . What right does a woman have who has not raced for 11 months and not at all this year to be picked because of her profile, as a previous medallists. We have wasted enough time , money and energy on other athlketes as they fall by the wayside , but to threaten an appeal... where is Meadows self respect.

She will appeal cos its her life she says... same as a lot of other athletes here and elsewhere. Will she quote the Human Rights Act?

If there was a like button I would of pressed it!

[trickstat]

Wasn't womens middle distance targeted for Olympics medals a few years ago by the experts

Only 3 medals in the last 2 World Champs means that we have really struggled.

I agree that things are not looking too hopeful this year though.

[MikeF]

How about taking just Lynsey Sharp with the B standard?

[ldnbloke]

Should they take Sharpe instead of three with A standard?

[Ecosse]

How about taking just Lynsey Sharp with the B standard?

Was just about to suggest the same thing! Haha

Such a shame the only way she can be selected is if no other GB athletes are selected along side her.

[olympic]

Olympic team
Okoro - has standard
Sharp - well done with silver - on - young and improving - if race was paced would have got time - there is More there.
Meadows - wild card - if she says she is fit, give her a go. Simpson isn't going to win it. Meadows deserves a chance given her service and pedigree as no-one else has stepped up.
With this team selection there can be no complaints.

[MikeF]

Olympic team
Okoro - has standard
Sharp - well done with silver - on - young and improving - if race was paced would have got time - there is More there.
Meadows - wild card - if she says she is fit, give her a go. Simpson isn't going to win it. Meadows deserves a chance given her service and pedigree as no-one else has stepped up.
With this team selection there can be no complaints.

Not possible unfortunately because Sharp doesn't have the A standard.

[iain]

Plus taking Meadows over Jackson would be ridiculously unfair!

[olympic]

Jackson injured - as our Olympics don't be surprised to see a fair bit of host nation discretion.

[mump boy]

Can you take a single B if you have A's ??

I'm not sure you can

[MikeF]

Can you take a single B if you have A's ??

I'm not sure you can

It would be the selectors' decision as I read it. Neither of the top 2 at the trials have the current A standard or reached the Daegu final. They are the only things that make selection certain.

[mump boy]

But will the IAAF allow it ?

[b-athletics]

I feel that Sharpe will have to try and hunt down the A standard somewhere else if possible, but I think Okoro has proved herself and should be taken. Meadows says she had ran a 2.00.80 time trial by herself which i think is pretty good, i know her achilles is playing up but i feel she can do it and i have every bit of faith in her. Simpson, I thibk she is a very storng athlete but the speed just isn't there and obviously Jackson is injured.
Therefore, provided Lynsey gets the A standard where possible I would take Shapre/Okoro/Meadows
But.. If she cannot I would have to edge my bets with Meadows/Okoro/Simpson, I just feel that sending Sharpe on her own is to bigger a risk although i do think that she is our best 800m runner.

[2012girl]

What a shame Sharpe didn't get the A standard, that performance was definitely worthy of a place. Surely that was her last opportunity to get the standard though?

Okoro may have the time's but she's a poor tactician and, not for the first time, went to pieces when it counts. If she misses out she's only herself to blame, harsh but true. I think she'll get the nod though.

Meadows seems to be relying on her previous history to get selected, flying out but being unable to compete at the Euro's doesn't bode well though. I think they'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

Assuming Sharpe doesn't get the time in a last ditch effort that leaves Jackson or Simpson for the final place. Simpson looks below par and didn't cover herself in glory in the final at the Euro's and according to her twitter Jackson should be fully healed in plenty of time. She's run a PB this year and I thought she acquitted herself well at both the Commonwealth's and also the WC so I think they would probably go with her over Simpson.

Really sad that the 1 athlete who definitely deserves a place is the 1 who'll likely miss out!

[Tough of the Track]

Lynsey Sharp ran very well tonight but she did not achieve the A standard. She ran her usual race, staying close to the back and then finishing like a train. This brought her a medal in a fairly low-key race but surely she should have been far more positive if she was aiming to run below 1:59.90. Remember that Okoro and Jackson have both run 1:59.3's this season, well over a second faster than Lynsey.

If Lynsey wants to prove she is worthy of a place she has to commit to the whole race, not the last 100m.

Okoro will learn from her errors eventually. She is very talented. Jackson is fit again after her broken rib and Jenny claims to be ready for London so it's all down to the selection meeting now.

[Geoff]

The way I see it is that Okoro will be selected because she has two current A standards and that meets the selection needs of athletes finishing outside the top two at the trials. Unfortunately Sharp is not selectable although certainly capable of running 1.59 this year. That leaves three with the A standard from last year or this year. Next in line I would select Jackson as she has a current A standard but, of course, it depends on how bad her injury is and can she get back into full training soon and be at her best in London. I suspect/hope she can. It then comes down to whether the same can apply to Meadows and this will depend on how well UKA have monirired her training and, of course, medical advice. I think she may be picked.

That leaves Simpson who has an A standard from last year. A lot depends on the other two AND whether UKA want to fill all available places - I'm not sure about this but Merrien was allowed back in to the marathon and a precedent was set.

It will be really interesting to see how the selection criteria are interpreted across all events.

So, subject to fitness it should be Okoro, Jackson & Meadows but there's a chance because of injuries and strict adherence to the criteria it could be just Okoro!

[Ecosse]

Why are so many of you spelling Sharp wrong?

Yeah there's no chance that Sharp will be selected on her own even though she has proved she is our best 800m runner at the moment. It's likely to be Okoro, Simpson and Jackson. Would be grossly unfair for Jackson to be left at home after running 1.59.3 and probably only missing a top two because of injury.

[MikeF]

I agree, I can't see Sharp being selected as the sole athlete. Looking at UKA's criteria where there's a choice of athletes, the selections would go something like this:
a. Multiple A standards (consistency): 1. Okoro (6), 2. Meadows (6, but none current), 3.Jackson/Simpson (2, but no current ones for Simpson)
b. Previous championship performances: 1. Meadows, then probably 2. Okoro (WC final) 3. Simpson and Jackson (Jackson with less experience but probably the better record: WC sf and commonwealth 4th).
c. Position at trials: 1. Simpson 2. Okoro 3. Jackson
d. Current form and fitness: ha! Sort this one out. 1. Okoro (if we forget the trials) 2. Simpson 3. Jackson (better form this season than Simpson, but recovering from injury).

So, this suggests Okoro is definitely in, based on any criterion. It's very close between Jackson & Simpson, but I would favour Jackson; before the injury she was looking in good shape. As I said before, I think points a and b will mean Meadows is in the team. I would guess CVC has been monitoring her fitness -- he was probably aware of the time trial.
My guess is they'll go for Okoro, Meadows, Jackson.

[Kermit]

Why are so many of you spelling Sharp wrong?

Yeah there's no chance that Sharp will be selected on her own even though she has proved she is our best 800m runner at the moment. It's likely to be Okoro, Simpson and Jackson. Would be grossly unfair for Jackson to be left at home after running 1.59.3 and probably only missing a top two because of injury.

So our best runner (in your opinion) is someone who hasn't run inside 2 mins and has not got the A standard!!!!

Meadows has one last competitive shot, this weekend - if she can find a meet that will accept her. I cannot see her being selected based on a time trial especially as that was not an A standard time in a competitive field.

[jeremy1]

There is no reference in the UKs Rules of selection that state you cannot seleect a single B standard athlete, even if there are other As who might be picked; a bloody good way of receiving an appeal though from an A standard athlete.

Simpson will do nowt if selected; Meadows does not deserve to be picked as she is near to breakdown at any time; Jackson has not proved she is fit or even if she is likely to be fit in the appropriate time scale; Okoro will be selected and we will be able to see what she can do in a big race... not run like an idiot hopefully.

Sharp has little time to prove her A standard and the IAAF rules do not accept phony races under their rules... a proper legit race with the full agreement of the National Federation is required..

[MRCCRRLL]

So it's the first post I have made, despite reading other posts for a while.

I think that Lynsey should get the shot to run in the Olympics, despite not 'having the A'! She has completely embarrassed Maz and Jemma and is the only female medalist at the Euro's at the moment.

Jenny has fantastic pedigree but is, unfortunately, nowhere near on form. Maz is a non-achiever. I'm sorry, she runs fast at at times but is always going to be a 'has-ran'. Emma is a decent runner but doesn't have, in my opinion, the killer instinct ... plus she is injured.

Lynsey has beaten Jemma too often for Jemma to be considered.

I think she reminds me of Hannah England or TBO as going into events they never have the best times but have the race mentality. Sanya v. Christine 2009, Kelly v. Mutola 2004, Dita v. Radcliffe 2004!


Race mentality .... give the girl a chance... she is the only one who 'might' scrape into final!!!

[MRCCRRLL]

sorry Sanya v. Christine 2008

[Ecosse]

Why are so many of you spelling Sharp wrong?

Yeah there's no chance that Sharp will be selected on her own even though she has proved she is our best 800m runner at the moment. It's likely to be Okoro, Simpson and Jackson. Would be grossly unfair for Jackson to be left at home after running 1.59.3 and probably only missing a top two because of injury.

So our best runner (in your opinion) is someone who hasn't run inside 2 mins and has not got the A standard!!!!

Meadows has one last competitive shot, this weekend - if she can find a meet that will accept her. I cannot see her being selected based on a time trial especially as that was not an A standard time in a competitive field.

At the moment, yes she is - in my opinion. She beat everyone at the trials and proved she's a championship performer here. She's got the A-Standard in her, anyone finishing a 800m in 2.00.5 that fast does. Maybe she could have kept in touch a little bit better in the opening stages or maybe kicked earlier?

Completely agree with you on Meadows.

[marsh rat]

Has anyone noticed that all the A standards gained this year have been picked up abroad. Basically the conditions on tracks in UK have not been conducive to fast times. Perhaps explains why some of those runners with A times performed so badly in Birmingham in what have been typical conditions all track season in UK. Also makes it a bit of an uneven comparison between those that can travel around to races and those that are stuck with just the windy wet cold open tracks of UK

[SteveK26]

It will surely be Meadows, Okoro and Jackson. (subject to fitness).
Miss Sharp probably needs a break just now...she has performed really well at the trials and Euros...difficult to imagine her carrying this form through to London.
Good point about where 'a' standards have been achieved, but I'm certain the selectors will go with those that have them just the same.

Welome to ''tough of the track''....can we call you 'Alf' ?

[SteveK26]

I've just read Sharp's post race interview where she states she has missed some training and might well be in BETTER shape for London than now. That would make it a bit of a shame if she misses out...which in all probability she will.
Still, a Champs silver should cushion the disappointment a bit...

[Neil Harris]

Assuming the last date for entries can not be stretched..ie it's an Olympic requirement, could a paced race be put on for Sharp on Sunday somewhere. I realise that she is tired etc, but I am sure she would like to have a last gasp (literally) try to get the A standard.

[mump boy]

Lyndsay will not be chasing times this weekend she's had 5 races in a week already. Her only hope is either that they select her as the lone representative with a B or they extend the selection to the IOC date 8th but this would open up possibility of all kinds of appeals from those who already have A

Although i agree that Jenny probably deserves it more than Jemma, there is no way you can select someone who hasn't run all year and who's achilles is so dodgy that taking a flight means she can't run on it !! i dread the think how it would react to an actual competish

[jeremy1]

agreed, again.

[jeremy1]

Maybe they will select one crock, one recovering crock and one nutty runner. Can't see they will be doing great things in 5 weeks time.

BTW time trials are pretty meaningless in terms of the intense physical nature of the 800 metres.