London 2012 Update > Australia – Women

For the next few of months, I will review where the Olympic qualification process is currently at. I will take a look at each country and try to identify interesting facts about them, such as who was at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, who were the potential athletes in 2009-2010, who are the potential athletes since the beginning of the qualification process, as well as how can they qualify.

Pour les prochains mois, je vais faire le point sur le processus de qualification pour les Jeux Olympiques. Je vais prendre chaque pays et je vais faire ressortir certains aspects. Qui sont les Olympiens? Qui étaient les athlètes potentiels en 2009-2010?  Qui sont les athlètes potentiels maintenant et quels sont les critères de sélection pour l’équipe. On commence avec l’Australie – femmes.

Let’s start with the Australian women:

Olympians:

 2000

• Michellie Jones (2^nd)
• Loretta Harrop (5^th)
• Nicole Hackett (9^th)

 2004

• Loretta Harrop (2^nd)
• Rina Hill (33^rd)
• Maxine Seear (DNF)

 2008

• Emma Snowsill (1^st)
• Emma Moffatt (3^rd)
• Erin Densham (22^nd)

 Facts

• 4 medals
• 1 in each Olympic Games
• 2 in 2008
• 3 athletes qualified for each Olympic Games

2009 – 2010: Who were the athletes?

 2009

• Emma Moffat (1^st Dextro Ranking, 2008 Olympian)
• Annabel Luxford (10^th Dextro Ranking)
• Emma Snowsill (19^th Dextro Ranking, 2008 Olympian)
• Felicity Sheedy-Ryan (45^th Dextro Ranking)
• Erin Densham (70^th Dextro Ranking) (2008 Olympian)

2010

• Emma Moffat (1^st Dextro Ranking) (2008 Olympian)
• Emma Snowsill (13^th Dextro Ranking) (2008 Olympian)
• Felicity Abram (23^rd Dextro Ranking)
• Emma Jackson (44^th Dextro Ranking)
• Annabel Luxford (46^th Dextro Ranking)
• Felicity Sheedy-Ryan (55^th Dextro Ranking)
• Erin Densham (70^th Dextro Ranking) (2008 Olympian)

2011 : Who we have now

Tri Australia criteria:

– Automatic nomination : Win the 2011 London event and finish top 3 in the 2011 ranking

Automatic Nomination

Any eligible athlete (male and female) who wins the 2011 ITU London WCS race and finishes in the top 3 positions of the ITU 2011 WCS Rankings as at 12 September 2011 will have a right to be nominated to the AOC provided that the athlete satisfies the requirements of this Nomination Criteria including form and fitness as set out in clause G(6) and complies with the ongoing obligations of clause H.

• Remaining athletes will be determined by a discretionary process
• None of the athletes satisfied the automatic nomination criteria

So we have (order according to the ITU simulation) :

• Asleigh Gentle : Oceania Champion, 24^th Dextro Ranking, 65^th Olympic Ranking
• Emma Moffatt : 7^th Dextro Ranking, 3^rd Olympic Ranking (2008 Olympian)
• Emma Jackson : 4^th Dextro Ranking, 13^th Olympic Ranking
• Emma Snowsill : 13^th Dextro Ranking, 17^th Olympic Ranking (2008 Olympian)
• Felicity Abram : 23^rd Dextro Ranking, 42th Olympic Ranking
• Erin Densham : 26^th Dextro Ranking, 49^th Olympic Ranking (2008 Olympian)
• Felicity Sheedy-Ryan : 74^th Dextro Ranking, 56^th Olympic Ranking
• Annabel Luxford : 88^th Dextro Ranking, 82^nd Olympic Ranking

What is interesting:

• Luxford who was 10^th in the world in 2009 does not seems to be a contender for a spot anymore (10^th in the world in 2009, 46^th in 2010 and 88^th this year)
• 2008 olympian Erin Densham is improving her ranking since 2009 and seems on a good roll. Hasn’t race a lot in 2011. 8^th in Kitzbuehel and 7^th in Hamburg (Hamburg = Australian podium sweep 1. Moffatt, 2. Jackson 3. Snowsill). Hasn’t race since a DNF in London. We never know. We will see in April and May 2012.
• The three spots already decided ? Moffatt, Jackson and Snowsill ? I don’t think so. Don’t count out Asleigh Gentle who probably has the better progression of the three women. Abram would be a long shot for a spot even though she is a tremendous athlete.
• Snowsill is occasionnaly strugling with health issues, as stated in this article.

Next week, I’ll have a look at the Autralian men.

La semaine prochaine, les homme australien.