Although the start lists for the Rome World Cup are certainly impressive, an issue has arisen with regards to the entry process.
In several cases, athletes have been prevented from starting even though they would be eligible to do so. To compound the issue, the start lists are not full. As such, the only thing preventing said athletes from racing is the decision of their federation.
In the women’s race, fewer than 45 women are slated to take part. There is therefore space for another 20 athletes to participate. In some cases, athletes would like to enter but do not have a sufficient world ranking to get onto the start list. Moreover, there are instances in which it would not yet be appropriate for an athlete to start at the World Cup level.
Yet at the same time, there are athletes that are more than capable of starting but have been prevented from doing so.
One example of a particularly stringent federation policy is that of France. Even with athletes often self-funding their World Cup races, the French model places strict restrictions on who can and cannot start.
The question is, how much say should national federations have over entries, particularly at the World Cup level?
For the most part, athletes have to pay their own way when it comes to travel and accommodation. There is minimal cost involved for the federation.
World Triathlon start lists are also governed by world rankings. If an athlete can get onto a start list, they are by definition good enough to race.
The issue of federations blocking athletes strikes as an overstep by the officials involved. More often than not, they are placing their own interests and preferences ahead of the careers of the athletes.
One prominent example of this came at the Paris Olympic Test Event. Gustav Iden was told by the Norwegian federation that he was “not good enough” to start even though he earned a place on the start list. As a result, he did not race.
In both the case of Iden and with the athletes blocked from racing in Rome, there have been blatant and egregious interferences by the federation.
To some, they may be justified interventions. In the Iden case, Norway have pinned their hopes on Casper Stornes to potentially bolster their relay and so turned to him in place of Iden.
However, the decisions taken by the federations speak to a lack of meritocratic thinking. Athletes that are good enough to get onto start lists should be allowed to race if they so choose.
Whether the fundamental driving force behind blocking athletes is one of control, bureaucratic politics or the simple playing of favourites, it does a disservice to both the athletes and the sport.
A key point to emphasise here is that we are talking about common races, such as World Cups. These are the events upon which athletes can build a livelihood. Special selection policies for the Olympic Games are a different matter. Although, there is another conversation to be had on the Olympic front. One only has to look at the history of controversy that countries like Australia have suffered to see why.
When it comes to Continental Cups, World Cups and even the WTCS, if an athlete is good enough, they should have a say over their career.
As things stand, national federations hold the keys to the races. Athletes have to enter through them with no real other option. For the time being, then, the athletes will have to play along with the game.
Somehow, a better solution will be found. Until then, though, the extent of national federation power will no doubt come up once more.
