Cathy, which race was that for a 3rd 8:20? Sounds like a race I need to do. Who knows, I may want to go to ITU Long course worlds in the future.
Dave
Qualifying for worlds is not always easy, just the last couple years because of the location… Americans have a huge cost, and have to take a lot of time off for a European worlds… SO this last two years the spots roll all the way down to the bottom of the cutoff, and they still can’t field 16 people to go in each AG…It pretty much works this way in every country. WHen they are in NZ and OZ, those countries field huge teams, and hardly any Euros go. WHen it was in Hawaii, we had a huge team, even discounting that everyone could go(no qualifying that year, except to have had a plane ticket to KC). I think that Vancover will attract more of us, and qualifying will be a bit tougher. At the pointy end, it is still tough to get on a podium, but the rolldowns will allow a lot of really slower people participate…Wait until they have the worlds in CA or Chicago some year. That will be a tough qualifying for us…
Mark, this still all seems like elitism. Meaning, if only the top person goes, since the rest are all “slow”, we have no more sports.
Lets talk the Olympics, can you think of any event where one of the top 3 favorites did not win? If not, they why do they have
so many that have qualified? Why waste time on qualify events? Why are so many “slow” folks allowed to “race”? Why do we even go here?
Every event has to be paid for, bottom line. So, if us “Slow” folks did not qualify and go, there would be NO event for the “fast”
person.
Why are so many interested in exclusion, rather than inclusion attitudes?
Dave
Just because it’s not hard to get on the US team, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t tough competition at the race. I had a look at the results from the race in Lorient last weekend and it seems to me that the local “fast” people I know didn’t place all that high in their age groups. Some of these are people who have qualified for Kona. Maybe the US doesn’t send their fastest people to the LC Worlds, but it looks like the Europeans are plenty fast.
I’m still curious to hear what the thoughts are from people who have been to one of these races. I earned a spot on the 2008 Canadian team for the race in Almere, NL and am looking forward to racing in maple leaf kit.
Peggy, looking forward to running to you at Germany, and all the Team USA members, and other countries racers.
(Slow or fast it does not matter.)
Are you going on the USAT Team USAT cruise in I think it is Nov?
Dave
From what one of my friends understands, to qualify for the worlds in Vancouver, one would have had to be in the Top 8 at this year’s AG Nats or must win or get a roll down spot at one of the regional championships next year. And this is because of the Olympics next summer.
He feels its going to be pretty tough.
I have lots of friends who have been on multiple teams and I have seen more than my share of Team USA outfits…would love to have one. All have said it was a total blast to be on the team.
A few years back, when World’s were in New Zealand, I considered accepting a rolldown spot and going…unfortunately the $10K estimate for me and my former spouse to attend kind of put an end to that.
This year, I considered trying to get to Du Worlds 'cause it was in Virginia or someplace inexpensive, however, the one qualifier in TX was a very small du about 5 hours away and there was a nice, cheap HIM 20 minutes from my house the same weekend. Hmmm…$100 entry and no travel? 5 hour drive each way, hotel, and food plus entry?
I realize it was my decision to make and I accept responsibility for my choice, but when I saw the results, I will admit I was disappointed.
Such is life…
FWIW, it seems that going to Worlds seems to be very popular with the W40+ crowd.
G
Mark, this still all seems like elitism. Meaning, if only the top person goes, since the rest are all “slow”, we have no more sports. \
I hope that you didn’t direct this comment to me, all I did was answer the guys question on why it was easy to qualify for the team. I don’t care how many go, the more the merrier. I had no problem when they let in the whole country a few years ago with no qualifying, that’s as far from elitism as you can get… I had a problem with the qualifyier being cancelled, but that is another topic…
From what one of my friends understands, to qualify for the worlds in Vancouver, one would have had to be in the Top 8 at this year’s AG Nats or must win or get a roll down spot at one of the regional championships next year. And this is because of the Olympics next summer.
He feels its going to be pretty tough\
Ya, that’s what I said, Vancover will be tough because of it’s proximity, and the breaking up of the qualifyiers. The top 8 is a much tougher nut to crack that top 25, and if you miss that, you have to chase a win in one of the other 8 qualifyiers…If you want to go you probably can, just have to be persistant, and be ready to travel to a lot of races…
Yep, and in most cases, it is not easy!! There are some exceptions for the regionals for next year, but that may just be an
exception. I know the person I beat at regionals for my spot was a stud, and he sure did not go to that race to lose.
I hope he gets a spot with the lotteries since I know he had a bad day.
Dave
Yep, 40 plus overall. I was amazed at Nationals that there were more finishers in the 55-64 2 AG’s than the 50-54 I was in.
Fact of life, the baby boomers have the largest amount of wealth mankind has ever seen, and they need to spend it one something.
Guess what, now being empty nesters with that money, travel and sport together? I expect it to even get tougher in the future
as friends talk to each other. I know my friends are now thinking about nationals and worlds.
Yep, I know I am glad I took my 6 hour drive to Bakersfield, even though my family told me not too.
If I had seen the results and not have been there, I would have kicked myself the rest of my life.
Best of luck in the future. Would love to run into you at a worlds event. I may not make any in the future, so I am
making the best of it now.
Dave
Yep, the folks who qualify winning for Kona are fantastic, (may not be the roll down slots though).
Dave, you are right on the money!!! Way to start a fire storm also!!
BTW, you forgot to include the 55-59AG at Nationals in your top 16 analysis, in addition the to 60-64AG (which was Steve Smith, then nobody else even close).
Forgetting Moats, the 55-59AG trumped you young 50-54’ers. The message is clear: retire at 55
My goal was not to start a firestorm, but I do have passion that our sports needs to be inclusive.
I was just thinking, it is too bad we can not have a test for a persons genetics vs results.
I do not care how SLOW my times are, I have worked my butt off and am very proud of what I have achieved.
I can not wait until Kevin moves up and the 55-59 gets to beat him, :o)
Being 50, I am glad I never will have to compete with the studly 55-64 guys!!! But, there are plenty of
studs in the 50-54, like Kevin and Joe, and many others are just a year or 2 behind. Emilio I think is 47?
So, again, this is why I busted my butt this year since it will get nothing but harder into the future.
Dave
Look at this guy.
1 30 1360 Tony Schiller 49 Chanhassen MN 1 1:01:09 0:56 1 37:42 1 2:02:24
Looks like he may kick Kevins butt next year!!
Dave
My goal was not to start a firestorm, but I do have passion that our sports needs to be inclusive.
I was just thinking, it is too bad we can not have a test for a persons genetics vs results.
I do not care how SLOW my times are, I have worked my butt off and am very proud of what I have achieved.
I can not wait until Kevin moves up and the 55-59 gets to beat him, :o)
Being 50, I am glad I never will have to compete with the studly 55-64 guys!!! But, there are plenty of
studs in the 50-54, like Kevin and Joe, and many others are just a year or 2 behind. Emilio I think is 47?
So, again, this is why I busted my butt this year since it will get nothing but harder into the future.
Dave
i’ve raced my last 55-59AG and glad of it!! BTW, Joe is easy, not even in the same ballpark as Moats…only his wife thinks so. Now Harper is in the same ballpark, but still in the outfield i think.
Yes, no matter what age one is, being at the top is always tough, and have most of us looking forward to being
back at the bottom. I know I was happy to leave the 45-49 AG. Starting next year, will have to start looking
forward to the 55-59, but sure do not want to get older any faster.
I was bummed I was too out of it at nationals to not try to find Kevin and Dean to introduce myself. Maybe next year.
Dave
Racing the Oly in June is a great way to prepare for IM. In 1999 I did IM Canada as my first ever IM race then raced in Montreal 13 days later. The reason that I did the race in Montreal was that I was really fit training for IM and did the qualifier in June as a tune up and decided to try the double since worlds was so close to home. That was a hard double 
I like to get in 2 or 3 races prior to doing an IM and if I lived near Vancouver, I would definitely try and snag a spot for the race. I was tempted, since it is in Canada again, to try and qualify but the timing in June doesn’t work well for me since I’m a high school teacher and the kids that I coach in track race provincials that weekend and final exams start a week later so taking time off school is not possible in June.