Higher Canadian standards bar top marathoners from Olympics
The first Canadian man and woman to surge across the finish line of the Ottawa marathon this past weekend won’t be going to the Olympics in Beijing in August even though they both met international Olympic standards.
Gitah Macharia came 14th overall at the ING Ottawa marathon Sunday with a time of 2:16:55 and Tara Quinn-Smith came fourth in her category with a time of 2:33:58.
Quinn-Smith beat the women’s international A standard of 2:37:00 by more than three minutes and the B standard of 2:42 by more than eight during her first-ever marathon race.
However, she did not meet Athletics Canada’s tougher A and B women’s standards of 2:29:08 and 2:31:00 respectively.
Macharia beat the international B standard of 2:18:00 by more than a minute, but didn’t meet the A standard of 2:15:00. However, he fell far short of the Canadian A and B men’s standards of 2:12:38 and 2:14:00 respectively.
John Little, a runner from Flagstaff, Ariz., who trains with several Canadians there, said if Macharia were American, Finnish or Norwegian, he would be going to the Olympics because he met the B standard.
"But the Canadian federation is more interested in making sure 50 officials go and 50 coaches go," Little alleged.
He called the men’s qualifying A standard of 2:12:38 ridiculous, and said "2:15, 2:18 will win in Beijing."
The Canadian Olympic Committee defended its standards Sunday, saying they are in line with standards in other industrialized nations.
Still happy with result
The fact that Macharia won’t be going to the Olympics didn’t dampen his spirits Sunday.
He celebrated his finish by wrapping himself in the Canadian flag as he embraced his wife and children.
"Makes me feel good. Proud of being Canadian," said Macharia, who was born in Congo, spent much of his life in Kenya and became a citizen earlier this year. "Nice people … I had fun."
Quinn-Smith was similarly pleased by the results of her first marathon, and was upbeat about her chances of qualifying for the Olympics in 2012.
"With this being my first one, I think it sets me up well to really do well over the next few years and hopefully improve and make that Olympic team," she said.
To qualify as a rising star in the marathon event, a Canadian athlete had to achieve a B standard between Sept. 1, 2006, and May 25, 2008, and never have been on a World Championship or Olympic Games team before 2007.
Other athletes had to meet an A+ standard between Sept. 1, 2006, and May 25, 2007, or an A standard between May 26, 2007, and May 25, 2008.
