Trauma wrote:
This would do nothing to sort out qualification clusterf**ks (If USAT was making sensible decisions, if any states were not opening up to running events, they would just roll over qualifications from this year to next year, and then start anew... starting a new qualification cycle, when only some states could compete would cause a plethora of issues), but the other potential option to avoid bumping back the cycle is to split up Sprint and Oly distance worlds, and run Sprint worlds in Edmonton summer 2021 (june/july), and then keep Oly distance Worlds in Bermuda. It's sub-optimal, but I could easily see that option materializing... Unfortunately Edmonton's climate doesn't allow for an Ironman type option of a double Kona Feb and October, given that realistically their runway for the swim happening is probably late May-end of August (Sept is dicey, and success has been mixed)...
Given that the ITU is already heading in that direction starting 2022 (Sprint/MTR worlds in Montreal; Oly/Super sprint Worlds at the Grand Final in Abu Dhabi previously announced), it may be the easiest way to give Edmonton their championship, and not mess with the cycle...
We'll have to wait and see how things evolve, but the more I think about it, the more I suspect it will play out this way (who knows on the qualification side though...)
I almost called it (May 21st to boot)... I called the split, but thought that Bermuda would have gotten the standard and Edmonton the sprint... That said, this was the easiest way for them not to break their cycles and still give both LOCs their world championships. It really sucks for those who were hoping to double, since it's now two venues months apart with two sets of travel, but it's probably the least bad outcome of this.
And while I get the idea of wanting a requalification process, but given the limited runway for qualifying, using the lists that had qualified for this year make the most sense... (and then if there's spots that are available to put in place a limited process through which those might be claimed). I'm just happy that rather than the uncertainty that you guys dealt with, for us north of the border, Tri Can came out and made the statement as soon as the cancellations were announced...