Andrea Whitcombe blog: Back from Madrid Olympic Qualifier
The British trials for the Olympic games were held in Madrid at the weekend and unfortunately were not successful for me. Having been the British ranked number one for the last 4 years and ranked in the top 10 in the World it came as a bit of a blow. As I have mentioned in a previous Wiggle blog GB women have only secured 2 of a possible 3 Olympic slots (achieved by mine and Michelle’s [Dillon] World ranking). However, I haven’t even been given the possible third or even the reserve slot. They have opted to pick 2 women who could act as domestiques if they get the chance to race! I am insulted to say the least. So much for thanks for all my work to secure GB a chance to even put a woman in the games.
Beijing is going to be extremely hot (35 degrees +), extremely humid and a non wetsuit swim. Coping with these stifling conditions is not going to be easy. You would think that the ideal way to pick your team would be from a race held in similar conditions. WRONG! Instead the ‘powers that be’ decided to use the Madrid World Cup in May in cold wet conditions (16 degrees) and wetsuit swim. To me it seemed like picking a 100m sprinter from a cross-country race! In fact the men’s race became a complete lottery with over 30 athletes DNFing when the weather degenerated into a torrential downpour with thunder and lightening. So Britain has picked it’s team from a freezing wet race 2 months before the Olympics while most other countries have selected it’s athletes from hot humid races 6-12 months prior, we’ll see in August who got it right.
In my opinion it would have been far better to use a different race earlier in the year like the Mooloolaba or Ishigaki World Cup which would have been more like the Beijing conditions and would have given more time to prepare afterwards. I don’t however want to take away credit to the athletes that raced well in Madrid and did qualify for the Olympics. I wish them luck.
After the selection mess of the Athens Olympics I can’t help feeling bitter that I have contributed 8 years to British Triathlon and that once again I have been repaid with betrayal. So just remember one person’s Olympic dream is someone else’s nightmare. I guess I could always pretend I boycotted it.
I now have to get this injury I’ve had since the Mooloolaba World Cup cleared up and get racing. I will get booted off Lottery funding at the end of June so racing well is more important than ever. I hope to race more in the UK this year so it’s not all negative. Come and have a chat!
May 30th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Andrea regardless of what has happened, THE PROOF IS THERE FOR THOSE ALL OVER THE WORLD TO SEE you are ‘SIMPLY THE BEST’.
This country is the greatest in the world for knocking it’s best but at least you have beaten them to it, because you have ACHIEVED, EXPERIENCED and COMPETED in the OLYMPICS, which 99.99% of athletes in this country can only ever dream of.
You have not ever been a ‘Flash In Pan’ or a ‘One Trick Poney’ which has happened in the past, will happen now and will happen again in the furure!
Watch out ITU World Cups, here comes Andrea for that Podium Salute!!!
June 1st, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Andrea,What I don’t understand is WHAT is the point of gaining Olympic qualification points when your country completely ignors them, for the last four years you have been way out in front, sorry to say this but it’s not on your ability it’s if your face fits, keep your head up and look after yourself, ie your injury. We were hoping you would have some good news for your Birthday on June 8th.You’re still number one to us.
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Andrea, very sad news about you not making the GB Olympic team. I’ve been a follower of your achievements for some time now and I am stunned that you have not been selected. Sadly this isn’t the only instance of this type of thing in triathlon and lots of other sports for that matter.
As you say in August the results will tell us who was right!
I wish you all the best for a successful rest of the season.
June 9th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Andrea - I’m gutted for you. Boloktics again, from small people. Hope to be cheering you to success at home.
July 5th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
how can they pick a novice and a injury prone athlete who luckily hit a purple patch incredibly at the right time after a two year rest ?It’s bloody incompetence , the British Triathlon hierarchy are a self serving,blinkered bunch of amateurish, ivory towered thicko nitwits.
I think your a cracking competitor who has always led from the front and always put your reputation on the line. From cross-country right across the spectrum you have always set alight any race you have entererd. I’m looking forward to enjoying your races for many years to come.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
brilliant race in that unpronouncable place in ‘ungry Andrea, bloody well done.