Rio Olympics - track cycling

RoadPainter

Is anyone on here going to Rio for the Olympics?

blazing_saddles

My sister is going.
I was asked whether I wanted to go, but I have another, long standing commitment.
I get back to the UK a few hours before the women's keirin.

dish_dash

Also this dude with some advice on buying tickets...

RichN95.

I had thought about it but my parents decided to have their golden wedding anniversary at the same time. (The day of the men's road race). Admittedly they decided on this date 50 years ago, but it still lacks foresight.

RoadPainter

dish_dash wrote:

Also this dude with some advice on buying tickets...

Ta, got all the tickets I want now thx

Shadowrider

Yes I will be out there for a while, working on the event.

tailwindhome

On Twitter that Cav's been selected

It's a Daily M*** link so I'll not be posting it.

stagehopper

Will the velodrome be ready? Issues all over the place across many sports and events with just 4 months to go according to latest reports.

RideOnTime

Dick's out.

awavey

TailWindHome wrote:

On Twitter that Cav's been selected

It's a Daily M*** link so I'll not be posting it.

followed quickly by a Brit Cycling announcement saying the injury to Dibben in no way affects his chances.

however Jess Varnish has been "dropped" completely from the team according to my least favourite journalist (though Brit Cycling use the words contract not renewed...erm surely you dont set contracts with your riders that run out 3months before the one major event you are meant to plan for every 4 years)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/2016 ... me-on-per/

joelsim

awavey wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

On Twitter that Cav's been selected

It's a Daily M*** link so I'll not be posting it.

followed quickly by a Brit Cycling announcement saying the injury to Dibben in no way affects his chances.

however Jess Varnish has been "dropped" completely from the team according to my least favourite journalist (though Brit Cycling use the words contract not renewed...erm surely you dont set contracts with your riders that run out 3months before the one major event you are meant to plan for every 4 years)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/2016 ... me-on-per/

Wow. What's happened there? Performance grounds?

blazing_saddles

I've known for a month or more, but obviously couldn't say.
Parted company very soon after the Worlds.
Wasn't the only change in the GB women's sprint squad afterwards, but obviously the biggest.
It's all been a bit tense, during the lead up to the London champions.
I can't comment upon The Telegraph's final paragraph..............unfortunately.

DeVlaeminck

I find the policy of leaving championship slots unfilled for competitions as important as the Worlds or Olympics somewhat against what sport should be about. They've caused quite a lot of upset in BMX recently with this.

TheBigBean

DeVlaeminck wrote:

I find the policy of leaving championship slots unfilled for competitions as important as the Worlds or Olympics somewhat against what sport should be about. They've caused quite a lot of upset in BMX recently with this.

Sometimes there is so much politics in Olympic selection, that I wish there was a way athletes could compete as independents. For example, the way the British team failed to select the no. 1 in the world for Taekwondo. He should have been able to compete, but not represent the UK. (I know nothing about the case)

dish_dash

TheBigBean wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

I find the policy of leaving championship slots unfilled for competitions as important as the Worlds or Olympics somewhat against what sport should be about. They've caused quite a lot of upset in BMX recently with this.

Sometimes there is so much politics in Olympic selection, that I wish there was a way athletes could compete as independents. For example, the way the British team failed to select the no. 1 in the world for Taekwondo. He should have been able to compete, but not represent the UK. (I know nothing about the case)

Yeah. There is an independent team, but it usually reflects states that don't have a functioning NOC. The whole IOC set up is build around nations, some might argue an out of date concept... At Rio apparently there will be a 'Team Refugee Olympic Athletes'

blazing_saddles

DeVlaeminck wrote:

I find the policy of leaving championship slots unfilled for competitions as important as the Worlds or Olympics somewhat against what sport should be about. They've caused quite a lot of upset in BMX recently with this.

Not sure why you are drawing this conclusion, because it ain't so.

RichN95.

DeVlaeminck wrote:

I find the policy of leaving championship slots unfilled for competitions as important as the Worlds or Olympics somewhat against what sport should be about. They've caused quite a lot of upset in BMX recently with this.

Nothing is going to be unfilled though. If Marchant stays at home Becky James will do the Sprint and kierin. There's only one rider allowed per event. Obviously Blazing knows more but can't say.

Richmond Racer 2

RichN95 wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

I find the policy of leaving championship slots unfilled for competitions as important as the Worlds or Olympics somewhat against what sport should be about. They've caused quite a lot of upset in BMX recently with this.

Nothing is going to be unfilled though. If Marchant stays at home Becky James will do the Sprint and kierin. There's only one rider allowed per event. Obviously Blazing knows more but can't say.

Nah, UCI changed the rules yet again ahead of Rio. A nation can enter 2 riders for individual sprint events in Rio, assuming they have earned enough qualifying points

DeVlaeminck

RichN95 wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

I find the policy of leaving championship slots unfilled for competitions as important as the Worlds or Olympics somewhat against what sport should be about. They've caused quite a lot of upset in BMX recently with this.

Nothing is going to be unfilled though. If Marchant stays at home Becky James will do the Sprint and kierin. There's only one rider allowed per event. Obviously Blazing knows more but can't say.

OK I hope that's the case - they do say in the article they leave the option open of not filling the place but I suppose that could be motivation for those contending for it.

DeVlaeminck

Blazing Saddles wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

I find the policy of leaving championship slots unfilled for competitions as important as the Worlds or Olympics somewhat against what sport should be about. They've caused quite a lot of upset in BMX recently with this.

Not sure why you are drawing this conclusion, because it ain't so.

If I say because Shane Sutton said it might happen is that a good enough reason

"Sutton said that Marchant, who switched to cycling from heptathlon two years ago, now had a “foot in the door” as far as Rio was concerned. But he warned that her selection was not guaranteed. “If we believe she can do well there then we will take her,” he said. “If not then we won’t actually take up the option of that second spot.”"

As I say I hope they do fill the places but it's not unknown for BC to leave places unfilled - see the furore in BMX recently and the women road worlds at times.

blazing_saddles

Richmond Racer 2 wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

I find the policy of leaving championship slots unfilled for competitions as important as the Worlds or Olympics somewhat against what sport should be about. They've caused quite a lot of upset in BMX recently with this.

Nothing is going to be unfilled though. If Marchant stays at home Becky James will do the Sprint and kierin. There's only one rider allowed per event. Obviously Blazing knows more but can't say.

Nah, UCI changed the rules yet again ahead of Rio. A nation can enter 2 riders for individual sprint events in Rio, assuming they have earned enough qualifying points

There is more to the story than I'm about to put here, but I think it now goes like this:
If GB take only one rider, then Australian get the freed up spot for a 3rd rider.
Join the obvious dots in that.

dish_dash

Ooof and that's legit? I can't keep up with these track rules...

The_Boy

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Join the obvious dots in that.

I'm having a very slow-brain day. Could you map the dots out for me a bit more clearly?

gsk82

The_Boy wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Join the obvious dots in that.

I'm having a very slow-brain day. Could you map the dots out for me a bit more clearly?

Shane Sutton has a daughter he only just found out about who happens to be the third best female sprinter in Australia... Possibly?

The_Boy

Oh, hang on. SS is aussie, right?

No wonder I've only managed one paragraph of my coursework so far today.

salsiccia1

I know real men don't eat quiche, etc, but from what we read/hear, Shane Sutton comes across as a bit of a nasty bastard, especially where the women are concerned.

RichN95.

The_Boy wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Join the obvious dots in that.

I'm having a very slow-brain day. Could you map the dots out for me a bit more clearly?

My guess (and this may be wide of the mark) is that to take an extra sprinter Australia would have leave out a sub/reserve from the pursuit team thereby weakening them. But that may well be nonsense.

The_Boy

Salsiccia1 wrote:

I know real men don't eat quiche, etc,

The who don't do what now?

The_Boy

RichN95 wrote:

The_Boy wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Join the obvious dots in that.

I'm having a very slow-brain day. Could you map the dots out for me a bit more clearly?

My guess (and this may be wide of the mark) is that to take an extra sprinter Australia would have leave out a sub/reserve from the pursuit team thereby weakening them. But that may well be nonsense.

Hmm. Surely they'd just not take up the extra place either?

Clearly, I wouldn't last five minutes in King's Landing.

blazing_saddles

RichN95 wrote:

The_Boy wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Join the obvious dots in that.

I'm having a very slow-brain day. Could you map the dots out for me a bit more clearly?

My guess (and this may be wide of the mark) is that to take an extra sprinter Australia would have leave out a sub/reserve from the pursuit team thereby weakening them. But that may well be nonsense.

Ok, not so obvious.
GB will take their full quota.

prawny

See now I understood the conspiracy theory but now you've lost me.

Are the Australians giving us a sprinter?