Topic: Ontario Provincials and Canadian Nationals set up

[Walter Bailey]

I will do my best to explain.

For Nationals, there is a qualifying total that you must make within a specified time frame, in drug-tested competitions (something like Oct-March, nationals are in May)

For International competitions OTHER THAN the Olympics, there are certain competitions which count toward qualifying, these competitions are announced before hand.  They then look at the results and select the team based on marker.  To calculate the marker they take the average of the top 16 lifters in the world, in a given weight class (top 8 for junior) and call that 100% You can then find out what percent of the marker you have.  A 'team' consists of 8men and 7women, however, the Canadian Federation will decide how many of each they will fund (and even then, only 80%).  If you you are on the list, but not high enough to be funded by the federation, you can still compete, but it will be self-funded.

For the Olympics there are two separate qualifying procedures.  The first is to qualify spots for the Country, next to decide the athletes.  For the 2008 Olympics, the main qualifying events were the 2006/2007 worlds.  The higher the country is ranked, the more athletes the country can send.  After the results of this year's worlds, it looks like Canada will have 2 women (possibly 3) and 0 men.  The men may be able to get an extra spot at the continental championships.  After the number of spots are determined, the process to decide who will actually go is much like the other international events.  However, instead of taking the athletes' best performance, they take the average of the best two performances in the same weight class.

Hope the helped, rather than confuse you more

Walter

[Shaun Le Conte]

Great response, Walter! How's your own training?

One thing I have been curious about is whether you are from BC or Quebec. I have seen you list Quebec as your location, but then did you not compete for BC at the Canadians? I'm confused :)

[Walter Bailey]

I just sent you a PM, so that might indirectly answer your question.  But I am born and raised in BC (although I spent about nine years in Japan).  I started my training there, and lifted for my club in BC.  I represented BC at national events.  I moved to Quebec in Sept '06, so since then, I have represented Quebec.

Walter

[Ryan Lapadat]

Shaun, send me a link to that site when you got it up, I'll bookmark it for sure!

Walter, thanks for the break down. Very informative. This is some pretty complicated stuff, lol. I guess those guys who are members of the team of the hosting nation of the Olympics are smiling ear to ear when it happens. They don't have to worry about all the other jazz, cause they will get 2 lifters a weight class and have a full team at the Olympics.

Thanks guys!

[Walter Bailey]

No problem Ryan.  And yes, it is much easier to be the host nation, as you get to send a full team.  However, a "full" team for the Olympics is only 5men 4women (or maybe it was 4/3).

Walter

[Guy Greavette]

A full Men's team at the Olympic Games is 6 athletes and for Women it is 4 athletes. Also, Canada could potentially qualify 2 Men for Beijing but must place 1st at the Pan American Championships in March.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

A full Men's team at the Olympic Games is 6 athletes and for Women it is 4 athletes.

What a sad statement that is, and I see it sort of like if a starving person in Darfur said his plate is full of food if he has caught a few cockroaches or something. What a sad state this and all sport are falling into.