Jul 19, 2000

A regular reader finds my "calm acceptance of what has happened at the women's and men's Marathon Trials" puzzling. "I, myself, am outraged," he said.

"I don't know why you are being so nice to the U.S. Olympic Committee by not yelling at them that they fill up the remaining two spots for women and two for men. Runners spend their lives aiming for the Olympics, and there is no reason to allow a stupid system that didn't work to deprive runners of their places."

I don't name the reader to spare him embarrassment over repeating two widespread misconceptions. First, the USOC doesn't choose Olympic track and marathon teams or set policies for their selection. Those specifics are left to the USATF, and complaints should be directed there.

Second, adding two women and two men with Olympic A-level qualifying times would bump the Trails winners, Christine Clark and Rod DeHaven. Neither has an "A" mark under 2:33 or 2:14. The current system guarantees their spots, which this year excludes anyone else from eligibility.

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