The madness which is Bucs

[benn]

The entry list is out

http://c1593.r93.cf3.rackcdn.com/Append ... st__2_.pdf

Going to be some Pi***d athletes today
Many not competing when significantly slower athletes are

[BernardII]

Well I'm pleased because I got in but then there's the likes of Richard Davenport, 5th in the UK last year but only 1st on the waiting list for 400m Hurdles!

[sidelined]

Why BUCS thought it was 'fair' to exclude some of the best athletes at the best sporting universities remains a mystery. Why didn't they just impose a suitable entry standard instead? They are penalising athletes with ambition who take their sport seriously. Excluding the best is also going to dilute the quality of the competition. I don't understand why so few tickets went on sale either. I think it's a huge opportunity missed to promote the sport.

Here are a couple of the many tweets on the subject:

Dan Holden ‏ @dhole1412
@VincoSport @BUCSsport the system must be wrong.. ppl throwing less than 30m in the javelin. But ppl throwing 65 on the waiting list??
Retweeted by VincoSport

sam stanislaus ‏ @S_Slaus
@VincoSport happy I got a place,but the system is a joke!How can the best athletes be sat in the stands whilst have a go heroes compete?

[BernardII]

Niall Flannery @nyloflannaz
"so we got 1 entry into the mens 4 hurdles. Meaning it's going to be a hideous excuse of a competition #BUCS"

[jjimbojames]

Niall Flannery @nyloflannaz
"so we got 1 entry into the mens 4 hurdles. Meaning it's going to be a hideous excuse of a competition #BUCS"

He's spot on. They knew they wouldn't all get in, given their depth, but expected two slots.

You also have a guy jumping 1.40m in the HJ With all due respect to the man, a 13-year old by wouldn't make my team with that

The other issue I see is that some people are in two events - how is that fair?

[sidelined]

Millie Clifford ‏ @MillieClifford
@VincoSport @BUCSsport Definitely frustrated, athletes who run almost ten seconds slower than me are running but I'm on the waiting list...
Retweeted by VincoSport

[mump boy]

If i's know it only took 1.40m to compete in the Olympic stadium i would have entered the HJ

[trickstat]

I think the usual BUCS rules allow up to 4 athletes per Uni if they have achieved a certain standard. I can understand them making some changes to deal with the expected high demand. However, only allowing one athlete per Uni in events like 400 & 400H when a large number of athletes get in who wouldn't get close to getting a scoring run at my own, quite small club is ridiculous.

Surely, with a bit of thought, a system could have been devised that ensured no reduction or a minimal reduction in the number of high quality athletes at the event whilst still allowing at least one athlete per university overall from the "non-sporty" universities. Something vaguely similar to the system used by the IAAF at major champs.

I am sure for Niall Flannery, the fact that it is he who has got Loughborough's one 400H place, is no substitute for him not getting the competive race he would probably otherwise got in the final.

Come to Loughborough, Brunel, St. Mary's, Birmingham, UWIC etc & don't make the team for the BUCS champs!

[paps83]

Unfortunately I think that the organisers have been seduced by the prestige of being the Olympic test event and forgotten that it's supposed to be an athletics championships.

[athfan]

How long are the pole vault competitions going to take??? In the women's there are 26 athletes with PBs ranging from 2m to 4.20m!!!! What a joke!!!!!

[trickstat]

How long are the pole vault competitions going to take??? In the women's there are 26 athletes with PBs ranging from 2m to 4.20m!!!! What a joke!!!!!

They may have qualifying pools. Although this would still be a 13 athlete competition starting at about 1.70m (?) and the top vaulters will have at least an hour and a half wait before they pop over the 3.40m or so needed to to qualify!

[matthewquine]

Little article on the matter with a couple of comments at the end:

http://www.vincosport.com/news/110-bucs ... -it-right/

[benn]

Anybody watching the womens discus better take a cup of bedtime coco with them as its now a straight final of 29 !!!!!!!!!!!!! and the top 8 getting a further 3 throws

[benn]

Most of those students that have competed at bucs before should be aware as they have been testing at the previous two championships at least.But yes maybe some wont know but I suspect those that dont will very likely not be targeted as their results may be too far down the scale.As for tue's they are covered on the form that is filled in during the testing procedure they just have to remember to put down every medication they have taken recently and those they take regularly
.

[djlovesyou]

I'm presuming that in the past the testing has only been for medallists at the very most.

There will be plenty of mid-back of the pack guys who enjoy a few extra-curricular substances whilst at university. Will be interesting to see if any get caught out.

[Geoff]

Several of my athletes have in the past been assured by UKA there is no problem with TUEs being submitted post testing as they are classed as below national level. This should not be an issue but looking at the entry list I'm sure the whole testing regime will come as a bit of a shock for some. I assume far more tests will be carried out than in previous years.

[trickstat]

Do we know what is meant by national level ?
Is it all except IAAF and UKAD whereabouts athletes ?

My guess is that national level means those good enough to make the UK trials.

[Geoff]

Therapeutic Use Exemption

In line with the International Standards set by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) a full Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) is only required for athletes who are considered as National or International level athletes. Athletes outside of these parameters can make retroactive TUE applications within 10 working days after the date of a drug test.

Should you become a national or international level athlete in the future you should contact the UKA Anti Doping (AD) Department immediately to arrange for completion of a full TUE form.

You become a national level athlete if your National Association notifies you that you have been selected for out of competition testing and are asked to provide whereabouts information.

You become an international level athlete if your International Federation (IF) notifies you that you have been selected for out of competition testing and asks you to provide whereabouts information, or if you are otherwise defined as an international athlete in accordance with the rules of your IF (this normally means that you have been selected to represent your nation at an international competition or you are competing at a 'international' competition. For a list of competitions which the IAAF defines as 'international' please see http://www.iaaf.org/antidoping/athlete/ ... index.html

Should you be drug-tested before becoming a national or international athlete you should follow the following procedure:

■Note any medication you have used within 7 days of the test on the Sample Collection Form.

■If a UKA Anti Doping Representative is available at the time of your test advise them that you may need to submit an emergency retroactive TUE.

■Contact the Anti Doping Manager immediately on 07803 671978 for assistance in complying with the 10 day deadline.

[Geoff]

Thought a few words on the BUCS at the Olympic Stadium. Weather not great - freezing cold but same everywhere else.

Andy Pozzi ran 13.52 in the heats of the 110H this morning. Not sure of wind but if legal it is an Olympic 'A' standard. Okoye threw 63 and bits yesterday in the qualifying round (as a guest?) but not sure if he's throwing again. Morse and Buhari threw 58ish. Ellington won the UKA 100m in 10.30 with HAA winning the BUCS title in 10.4ish. Dennison beat Bleasdale on countback with 4.35 but not sure if short run ups or not.

[Geoff]

Andi Posi's 13.52 was into a headwind of -1.1! Very cold and now it's started raining

[jambob]

Dennison beat Bleasdale on countback with 4.35 but not sure if short run ups or not.

Holly didn't train for it at all. She did a full training session on Friday and tweeted that knew about it whilst she was on her way to London. Said it took about 6 hrs to get there and she had to carry her poles through a shopping centre up an escalator (picture on twitter). Probably not the best prep!

[sidelined]

Brilliant from Andy Pozzi. I wonder what Lawrence Clarke can do later in the UKA race.

I'm a bit puzzled by Holly Bleasdale. She tweeted that she'd done a monster weights session on Friday, then drove down from Manchester to London on Saturday, and arrived late and flustered. She said in an interview that she was only there to check out the stadium. Obviously conditions were poor and it was very cold, but it seems a strange way to approach a competition.

[trickstat]

Andi Posi's 13.52 was into a headwind of -1.1

I was at the stadium yesterday and that's a higher wind reading than any I spotted on the track (+ or -). I think the stadium has been designed to minimise the amount of wind that can get in. This is good for races of 400m or above and probably fairer for qualifying in many events but obviously not conducive to big distances in discus and javelin. I suspect Okoye's throw yesterday would be short of the automatic qualifying distance in the Olympic qualifying round but would be sufficient to make the top 12 in similar conditions.

[paul]

Judd 2:02.5 (PB)

Ye gods. She's 17, right!!??

I think that puts her top of the senior rankings.
(Oly B is 2:01.3.)

[sidelined]

Judd 2:02.5 (PB)

Ye gods. She's 17, right!!??

I think that puts her top of the senior rankings.
(Oly B is 2:01.3.)

And that's on her own, in cold conditions...

Jack Green has won the UKA 400m in a PB of 46.05.

[jjimbojames]

Jack Green has won the UKA 400m in a PB of 46.05.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - the guy needs to be in the relay squad come London

[sidelined]

Lawrence Clarke also bags the A standard with 13.50.

[Doofus]

An unbelievable amount of DQ's over the last few days. A lot of these against experienced athletes.
Have they been unfairly harsh?

[usedtoit33]

Can't tell you how happy I am that Pozzi and Clarke have got the A pretty much straight off.

[trickstat]

An unbelievable amount of DQ's over the last few days. A lot of these against experienced athletes.
Have they been unfairly harsh?

I suspect it's more to do with it being the Olympic test event and there being a lot more umpires around the track checking for infringements.