Australian sprinter Rohan Browning has slammed the new qualifying process at this year’s Commonwealth Games.
Just before the start of this year’s athletics program at this years games, the board announced a huge change to the way the 100m sprint qualification would be handled.
For the first time, the top eight male sprinters in the rankings have been handed an automatic spot in the semi-finals of the competition.
That represents a major break from the traditional method where the top two from each heat automatically advanced to the next round – there was then a number of spots still open for the fastest losers.
However, under this new format, the rest of the field are left to fight for a place in the next round in a mass time trial across 11 heats.
Both Browning and fellow speedster Eddie Nketia were successful in their bids to make it through to the semi-final.
Rohan Browning has expressed his frustration at the new qualifying system for the Commonealth Games
Under new qualification plans the top eight in the rankings are handed an automatic place in the semi-final
Browning scraped through to the semi-final with a time of 10.54, 16th in what has become a mass time trial
But it is easy to see Browning’s frustration as he was left with a tense wait to find out his fate despite finishing second in his heat.
The 28-year-old set a very respectable time of 10.54 as he eventually secured a place in the semi-finals.
He said the news of the new qualification rules were as much of a surprise to him as they was to everyone else.
‘It’s an unheard of progression, it’s extremely weird. It’s really hard to know, I have no idea what times have been run, I have no idea where I sit in the placings,’ he said, asking reporters to clue him in on where he sat in the standings.
‘It’s gusty out there, so when they just make up these rules about eight guys get to go through and the rest of us goes through on a time trial rather than first or second across the line, the reality is some heats will have better conditions than others, so I don’t know what’s going on.’
Browning said he is always prepared to turn up and run three rounds, but voiced his frustration that others, including compatriot Lachie Kennedy, do not have to.
‘It’s not fair, clearly it’s not fair,’ he said.
‘It’s clearly been engineered to try to achieve a desired outcome. Whatever’s motivated that decision, I don’t know what it is or if it’s reasonable or not, but clearly it’s not fair. I think everyone would agree on that.’
Fellow Aussie Eddie Nketia, who qualified in fourth, was far more relaxed about the new plans saying the best way to deal with them it just run fast
Nketia, who finished as the fourth-fastest qualifier, was far more laid back about the big change to the 100m tournament.
Adding that the best response to the rule changes was just to run fast.
‘At the end of the day this sport is meritocracy at its finest; if you’re quick enough you go through, so I suppose you could say those guys have earned their place,’ he said.
‘In all likelihood they were probably the guys paying the best odds to make the final regardless, but you just don’t know. Some guys might be injured, some guys might be out of shape. I don’t even know when they took the performances from.’
Browning somewhat justified his place in the team by qualifying in 16th place after his controversial inclusion over Josh Azzopardi.
The latter actually launched a selection appeal against Browning after Australian sprint squad was announced.
But the New South Wales sprint star has said he has no ill feelings towards Azzopardi following his appeal.
