Identifying what it takes to come last in the World Cup is a new one -
most of my correspondence is less considered but still focuses on what
athletes can't do.

What they and their coaches (licensed or otherwise...) can do is:

* identify the demands of a qualifying performance at Team GB
level for a World Cup Team, a World Junior Champs, an Olympics etc.
* identify the technical, physical and mental training that will
deliver such a performance
* identify the strengths and weaknesses of the athlete in question
in relation to the above demands; and if possible markers of potential
* do the training

Andi


Dr Andrew Drake
Senior Lecturer in Coaching & Sport Science
Department of Biomolecular & Sport Sciences
Coventry University, James Starley Building
Priory Street, Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK

Tel +44 (0)24 7688 8612
e-mail: a.drake@...
Web: http://www.coventry.ac.uk/researchnet/d/324/a/2299


-----Original Message-----
From: racewalk@yahoogroups.com [mailto:racewalk@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of mark wall
Sent: 06 May 2008 23:09
To: racewalk@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [UK racewalk] World Cup


I hate to be a Jonah over this but it is risky to compare with past
results. Many of athletes concerned were from countries the UK would
not want to compare to such as African nations or athletes who did not
perform on the day such as Ray Sharp or Olexsandr Romanenko. In some
cases older athletes were there to make up the numbers, hardly an
exercise in development.

The results from the last European cup demonstrate a far higher standard
where a Veteran such as Roman Bilek has to do 4:12:38 and still finish
last.

Paul raises a point about self funding, the EAA fixture list has a
number of excellent permit meetings across the continent, in most cases
accommodation is provided for 1-2 nights by the promoters, these are at
both 20km and 50km. It is these opportunities that the athlete seeking
development can seek the sort of times required to take the next step.

In terms of 'second tier' competitors, some nations require their
athletes to meet a standard HIGHER than the Olympic B requirements. One
country have left a walker home who did 4:04:06 in the trial because his
performance was deemed not to be up to the standard to represent that
country in this year's world cup. They will go into the race with only
two competitors.

The numbers outside the British standards are numerically small when
looking at the whole picture. I may sound dismissive but I have avoided
the argument that compares to those who have gone before be it 10, 20 or
more years. You need to set your standards not at the lower level but
rather at a level that is competitive but capable of attainment. The UK
all-time lists give a benchmark.

Lets see a good turnout at Leamington where opportunities are provided.


Another bone of contention must surely be that many of the medals in the
UKA/RWA championships are won not by promising athletes but athletes who
are over 40. Only one woman under 40 has won a medal in these
championships this year, she being 20 this year. In fact the medals
have gone to women who were born in 1963 or earlier.

The men show a similar pattern, the exception being Scott Davis (born
1975) whilst the rest of the medals have gone to athletes born between
1948 and 1968. Three of the 9 medals went to athletes now well over 50.
This means the average age of our top walkers, outside the current world
cup team is well over 40.

It is the development of a new generation of quality athletes which is
call for, recruits from other branches of athletics in the short term,
so we never again go into a World cup event with few athletes than
normally constitute a single team for an event.

Sorry to be a such a misery guts but there it is. Shoot for the stars
and you hit the moon

Mark





> To: racewalk@yahoogroups.com
> From: paulhayden1@...
> Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 20:48:41 +0100
> Subject: RE: [UK racewalk] World Cup
>
> Interesting stats John.
>
> I don't know if there is a cut off time for selection other than a
self
> imposed cut off. If it is self imposed is this down to the money
available
> to send athletes? If the latter then I understand why we don't send
2nd tier
> athletes but is there any way the "2nd tier" could be offered places
if they
> made a contribution to costs or is this illegal / too political?
>
> The stats suggest other countries send athletes at this second tier
level.
> Is that so? And if so is this to give them the experience, drive and
> enthusiasm to make the first tier, or, is this the best that they've
got?
>
> With very few 1st tier walkers making the "cut off" times, how do we
> encourage our next best walkers?
>
> I would welcome the comments from the selectors and also our 2nd tier
> walkers as to what would encourage them.
>
>
>
> Thank you
>
> Paul Hayden
>
>
>
>
>
> _____
>
> From: racewalk@yahoogroups.com [mailto:racewalk@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf
> Of John Constandinou
> Sent: 06 May 2008 15:45
> To: racewalk@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [UK racewalk] World Cup
>
>
>
>
> Following on about the statistics for the last World Cup in 2006; see
how
> the LAST placed athletes there in each event compare to current
standards in
> the UK:
> 50k Men - 5:05:51 PB. Three British men have bettered in 2008.
> 20k Men - 1:50:07. Thirteen British men have bettered in 2008.
> 20k Women - 1:57:44 SB. Three British women have bettered in 2008.
> 10k Men - 55:22 PB. Eight British junior men have bettered in 2008.
> 10k Women - 1:09:44 PB. Six British junior women have bettered in
2008.
> If only we could send Scott Davis to complete a British team for the
50k...
> Such a team would have grabbed 9th place in 2006, beating Hungary, USA
and
> Ukraine...
>
> Good luck to the British team in Cheboksary, everyone is very proud of
what
> you have already achieved.
>
> ____________-_________-_________-__
> Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 13:30:21 +0100Subject: RE: [UK racewalk] World
Cup
>
> Tony presumes right - the World Cup Team is:
> Ben Wears, U20 10 km
> Johanna Jackson, w 20 km
> Daniel King, 50 km
> Dominic King, 50 km
> They gained selection by bettering the following qualifying times in
2008:
>
> Event Development Elite
> 10 km U20 NA 00:47:00
> 10 km w U20 NA 00:53:00
> 20 km 01:30:00 01:28:00
> 20 km w 01:45:00 01:40:00
> 50 km 04:20:00 04:10:00
>
> Statistics from 2006 World Cup
> 10 km U20
> * 54 finishers
> * 26 PB, 6 SB, 6 DQ
> * 60 starters: 53.3 % delivered PB/SB
> * 40 athletes sub-UKA qualifying time (47:00)
> 10 km w U20
> * 44 finishers
> * 21 PB, 7 SB, 4 DQ
> * 48 starters: 58.3 % delivered PB/SB
> * 32 athletes sub-UKA qualifying time (53:00)
> 20 km
> * 95 finishers
> * 22 PB, 32 SB, 9 DQ, 11 DNF
> * 115 starters: 57.8 % delivered PB/SB
> * 59 athletes sub-UKA qualifying time (1:28:00)
> 20 km w
> * 71 finishers
> * 10 PB, 16 SB, 5 DQ, 12 DNF
> * 88 starters: 29.5 % delivered PB/SB
> * 48 athletes sub-UKA qualifying time (1:40:00)
> 50 km
> * 63 finishers
> * 18 PB, 31 SB, 6 DQ, 13 DNF
> * 82 starters: 77.7 % delivered PB/SB
> * 46 athletes sub-UKA qualifying time (4:20:00)
>
> Comment
> The biannual World/European Race Walking Cup generally sees at least
50% of
> the field record a season's or personal best performance. The Team GB
> athletes are challenged to target a season's best performance as their
> minimum target for race day, providing an appropriate stimulus for
> developing athletes. In terms of planning the World Cup is identified
as
> peak one, with a second peak for the summer championships (World
> Juniors/Olympics)-.
>
> The Team has just enjoyed a training camp based at Brunel University,
> training with the Athletics Australia World Cup Team for a mix of
dates
> between 24th April to 4th May as fitted individual plans. Most
sessions
> occurred at Eton Rowing Centre, Black Lake Country Park and Brunel
campus.
> The UK Athletics Performance Department funded the camp.
>
> Andi Drake,
> Team GB Coach 2008 IAAF World Race Walking Cup
>
> ____________-_________-_________-_________-_________-_________-_
>
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