Olympics:The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) have agreed qualifying standards with the Athletics Association of Ireland (AAI) for next year's 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Like the 2004 Games in Athens only A-standard qualifying times will be accepted, while most other nations still accept B standards, although the early cut-off date, which was widely criticised on that occasion, isn't nearly as severe this time around.
However, certain events have been subjected to more difficult qualifying times than stipulated by the international athletics governing body, the IAAF, and the International Olympic Committee (OCI), namely the men's and women's marathon and the 50km walk.
Under the international criteria, the A standard in the men's and women's marathon is 2:15.0 and 2.37 respectively, but the OCI/AAI standards have been set at 2:12 and 2:29.30. According to former Irish marathon champion Jerry Kiernan, who finished ninth in the 1984 Olympic marathon in LA, such a move is "definitely unfair" and "offers no incentive whatsoever to anyone hoping to qualify".
In total there are 10 qualifying rules and criteria that have been agreed with the OCI and AAI, starting with the OCI having the exclusive power for the selection and participation of the Irish Olympic Team, as acknowledged by the Olympic charter.
As far as the potential participating athletes are concerned, the most important thing after the actual qualifying standards is the qualifying dates. The closing date for AAI nominations to the OCI is Monday, June 16th, of next year for all track or road events of 10,000 metres or longer, and Monday, July 21st, of next year - the crucial date - for all track events of 5,000 metres or shorter, plus all the field events.
In addition, relay teams must be ranked in the top 16 in the IAAF list on July 8th of 2008 to be eligible for selection. The qualifying period began on January 1st of this year, with times or distances only being accepted at IAAF approved meetings.
The 2008 Beijing Olympics run from August 8th-24th with the athletics events run over the final 10 days, from August 15th. This effectively gives Irish athletes a three-week cut-off date prior to the Games, a lot less pressing than what was established before Athens 2004.
On that occasion, OCI set July 3rd as their cut-off date for Olympic qualification, even though the IOC/IAAF deadline was August 9th, four days before the Athens Olympics opened. Such a move was widely criticised by Irish athletes at the time, although the OCI later extended their deadline until July 20th - allowing one athlete, 5,000 metre runner Maria McCambridge, gain her selection.
In the aftermath of Athens, John Treacy, the chief executive of the Irish Sports Council, defended the OCI decision to accept only A standards, but was less convinced about the cut-off date, stating it was too soon. Clearly the OCI and AAI have come to a common compromise, with the criteria signed off by the AAI chief executive Brendan Hackett and 2008 team manager Patsy McGonagle, along with OCI secretary Dermot Sherlock and 2008 Chef de Mission Dermot Henihan.
"I think what we've agreed is very athlete friendly," says Hackett, "and agreed with an excellent spirit of co-operation. Both sides have also agreed this well ahead of time, and it's very clear to all athletes what they need to do now to make it to Beijing, with ample time to qualify. I accept the marathon standards are quite tough, but the main reason behind that was that conditions in Beijing are going to be very tough."
Kiernan, however, reckons the tough marathon standards simply aren't reflective of the event at the time being. "Most people still look at big city marathons as the standard of marathon times," he says, "but I can tell you that it's entirely different when it comes to championship marathon running. I had only run 2:13 prior to Los Angeles in 1984 (he ran 2:12.20 to finish ninth) and of course John Treacy hadn't run any marathon before, and took the silver medal. Championship marathon running is more about pace and tactics and that's why 2:13 or 2:14 will often produce a very high finish.
"And if you look at the Athens Olympics, only the top two ran under 2:12, and that wasn't too bad a day for marathon running. Even that Brazilian runner (Vanderlei de Lima) who was attacked by the Irish priest ran 2:12.11 to take the bronze medal. No one had heard of him before the race and you would have got 1,000 to 1 odds of him winning a medal.
"The bottom line is the standard of Irish marathon running is poor at the moment, but we should be doing all we can to raise it. I still feel it's one of the events we can be competitive in, along with the field events, because we're wasting our time trying to match the sprinters and African middle distant runners."
On the basis of the 2008 qualifying standards, only seven Irish athletes have achieved in A standard in the two and a half years since Athens - Paul Hession in the 200 metres, Alistair Cragg in the 5,000 metres, Robert Heffernan in the 20km walk, Joanne Cuddihy in the 400 metres, Derval O'Rourke in the 100 metre hurdles, Roisín McGettigan in the 3,000 metres steeplechase, and Sonia O'Sullivan in the marathon.
Most other countries still allow athletes to qualifying on B standards.
For the Irish athletes looking to secure the A standard at least the race is now under way.
Olympic Standards - Beijing 2008
(B-Standard in brackets, and also any Irish athletes beating the A-standard since 2004)
MEN
100 metres10.21 (10.28)
200 metres20.59 (20.75)
(Paul Hession, 20.56, August 2006)
400 metres45.55 (45.95)
800 metres1:46.00 (1:47.00)
1500 metres3:36.60 (3:39.00)
5000 metres13:21.50 (13:28.00)
(Alistair Cragg, 13:08.97, June 2006)
10,000 metres27:50.00 (28:10.00)
Marathon2:12:00* (2:13:30*)
3000 metres steeplechase8:24.60 (8:32.00)
110 metres hurdles13.55 (13.72)
400 metres hurdles49.20 (49.50)
High Jump2.30m (2.27m)
Pole Vault5.65m (5.55m)
Long Jump8.20m (8.05m)
Triple Jump17.10m (16.80m)
Shot Putt20.30m (19.80m)
Discus Throw64.50m (62.50m)
Hammer Throw78.50m (74.00m)
Javelin Throw81.80m (77.80m)
Decathlon8000pts (7700pts)
20 kilometres race walk1:23:00 (1:24:30)
(Robert Heffernan, 1:22.04, October 2006)
50 kilometres race walk3:57:00* (4:03:00)*
4x100 metres relayBest 16 national teams 4x400 metres relay Best 16 national teams
WOMEN
100 metres11.32 (11.42)
200 metres23.00 (23.23)
400 metres51.55 (52.35)
(Joanne Cuddihy, 51.09, August 2006)
800 metres2:00.00 (2:01.30)
1500 metres4:07.00 (4:08.00)
5000 metres15:09.00 15:24.00
10,000 metres31:45.00 (32:20.00)
Marathon2:29:30* (2:31:30*)
(Sonia O'Sullivan, 2:29.01, April 2005)
3000 metres steeplechase9:46.00 (9:55.00)
(Roisin McGettigan, 9:32.04, July 2006)
100 metres hurdles12.96 (13.11)
(Derval O'Rourke, 12.72, August 2006)
400 metres hurdles55.60 (56.55)
High Jump1.95m (1.91m)
Pole Vault4.45m (4.30m)
Long Jump6.72m (6.60m)
Triple Jump14.20m (14.00m)
Shot Putt18.35m (17.20m)
Discus Throw61.00m (57.70m)
Hammer Throw69.50m (67.00m)
Javelin Throw60.50m (56.00m)
Heptathlon6000pts (5800pts)
20 kilometres race walk1:33:30 (1:38:00)
4x100 metres relayBest 16 national teams
4x400 metresrelay Best 16 national teams
*AAI adjusted standards
