2012 Olympics - 1 rider per event

[Tapeworm]

The solution is very simple people:-

Water biking.

 

[sublimit]

The IOC have nothing to do with the qualification criteria, that is set by the UCI.
The UCI have screwed up the 2012 Olympics.
Who does this affect most? - Britain, Australia, France

Britain and Australia. The thing is you could be the second best track cyclist in the world in an event and yet unable to compete.

Its more dumb than when the Super heavy boxing weight division was axed at the Olympics - but that was subsequently reinstated. The UCI have completely f*cked up as per usual on this one.

 

[JA.Tri]

UCI/lack of intelligence

I agree with the concensus.

The decision seems to lack any foresight.

I would love to know:

1. UCI's long term plan for cycling in general and track specifically
2. UCI's rationale for this recent development.

Track cycling is a superbe spectacle. I love watching cycling full stop. Given that, track is second to none and rocks!

Just watching the Commonwealth Games Cycling is great and I note that many would rate the Olympics at a significantly higher level than this. Shame that so many events have "bitten the dust" and now...

the whole integrity of the remaining events has now been severely/fatally compromised.

 

[Dalakhani]

what if this rule was inforced for athletics? Imagine only 1 Kenyan and 1 Ethiopian in the 10,000m...

Or one Jamaican in the 100m.

Someone better break the bad news to Asafa Powell.

Steve

 

[jsem94]

Ugh. We need to clear up the UCI. Destryoing cycling step by step

 

[Curls_21]

What is the chance of the UCI changing their minds on this? Seems bonkers to me.

 

[AussieGoddess]

I've always thought in "speed" events that are raced against the clock or measuring tape (swimming, track and field) the top 25 qualifiers in the world should be admitted regardless of country... and any country without a participant after the 25 who has a qualifying time should be allowed one.

They SAY the olympics is not about politics but instead about sport. If that were the case... why should it matter what country the top atheletes in a sport are from in an individual sport.

I agree. Totally ridiculous rule


(I know I will get slammed for this, but ah well)
The other thing for me is the Road Race. It is an individual sport ... the winner gets the gold medal. Its not actually a team sport (unlike basically all other major road races where a rider has a team to support him). Therefore - isnt 2 athletes acting together actually collusion?

Realistically, either they have to make it a team sport (with medals awarded to all members of the team, and the same number of riders from each nation) or no collusion whatsoever.

If 2 athletes acted together in the marathon they would be DQ'd.

 

[JA.Tri]

@Aussie Goddess

I understand the sentiment and applaud the idea of recognising the "team", however don't see that happening.

As to cooperation/collusion:

The Kenyans in particular use team tactics to devastating effect* in long distance running and there has been to date (to my knowledge) no sanctioning of such activity.

*notable exception; one particularly brilliant runner from Uganda, Moses Kipsiro, has upset the Kenyan apple cart on the Track at the 2010 Cwlth Games

Aside: my understanding of rules associated with pacing is that:
. No external (non-participant) pacemaking is allowed.
. However any participant in a race may pace any other athlete (provided such participant has not been excluded/lapped/disqualified...)

 

[avanti]

Another "I know better than the athletes" statement today from Mr. McQuaid

While UCI president Pat McQuaid was unmoved by the British protestations, saying that “if an athlete cannot compete six, seven maybe 10 times a year then they should not call themselves a top class athlete,” there is little doubt that the timing of the respective championships meant that Britain’s sprint competitors in particular were forced to choose one over the other.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mcquaid-dismisses-track-riders-schedule-protests

 

[FeralMetal]

Why does McQuaid belive he has the sport of Track Cycling by the balls??Once more The silence worldwide amongst the FEDs is deafening.