Late entries allowed by Italians into Riccione worlds
Annette and Robert Koop share an interesting tidbit on their German masters blog. They report that six Italian athletes (Later correction: Comments point out the nationality wasn’t specified. My apologies –ken) were admitted to next month’s Riccione world meet after the entry deadline. The horror! Actually, the funny part is how this contrasted with Germany’s failed attempts to push some late entries into the WMA meet. My German-American friend Stefan Waltermann summarized the Koops’ post for me thusly: “Yes, six additional athletes were admitted after the deadline. Germany had some pretty good athletes coming in late and the German Track & Field officials wanted to do it by the books. They sent numerous e-mails to the organizing committee asking for a change for late entries by extension of the deadline.”
Stefan continued:
That was met with resistance and no official extension was established. Annette tells us that the Italians just did it their way — the “Italian solution.” Don’t talk, don’t set new rules, just do. Since the entries of quite a few countries arrived late June and thus way past the official deadline, these countries should have been denied admission. The Italian solution quietly put them in. If the Germans would have sent an additional list without making official waves about it, the athletes in question would have been in.
Of course, it probably didn’t hurt that the president of World Masters Athletics is Italian.
Here’s the original post:
WM Riccione: Sechs weitere Athleten am Start
Was für den DLV nicht möglich war, hat offenbar problemlos in anderen Ländern geklappt. Nachdem die WMA auf ihrer Internetseite am 20. Juli, also 51 Tage nach Meldeschluss, offiziell 8940 gemeldete Athleten mitteilte, heißt es jetzt aus Italien, dass es inzwischen 8946 sind.
Karl-Heinz Neumann (*1935, Berliner SC) ist nicht unter den sechs weiteren Athleten. Er hatte, wie berichtet, die WM-Meldefrist um wenigeTage verpasst und ist jetzt – genauso wie die Weltmeister Elfriede Hodapp und Peter Lessing, bei denen der Vereinsverantwortliche nicht aufgepasst hatte – einer der betroffenen deutschen Masters, die nicht vom DLV nachgemeldet wurden, weil dies wegen Versäumung der Meldefrist nicht möglich sei.
Auch ein Neumann’scher Hilferuf an DLV-Präsident Clemens Prokop hatte den DLV nicht dazu gebracht, seine Meldung einfach nach Italien hinterher zu schicken. Statt dessen wurden umfangreich E-Mails ausgetauscht und nach offiziellen Nachmeldefristen gefragt, die die Italiener aber nicht wollten. Sie bevorzugten die “italienische Lösungen”: Nicht reden oder neue Regeln, sondern einfach machen. Die Athletenmeldungen mehrerer Nationen waren in Italien denn auch erst im Laufe des Monats Juni eingetroffen.
6 Responses
That sounds about right – the Germans play by the rules – and most likely if the US had tried to get in late entries – and asked permission – it would be denied – but those who just send the stuff in – ok – gee what rule.
Personally I am sorry that so many fine German athletes were denied entry – including one woman in my age group who just blows the doors off the rest of us in all of my events. I go for the competition and I want to run against the best.
Maybe the WMA should have a deadline rule of “don’t ask, don’t tell” so that the rules are waived for all. No doubt we will see some more “waiving of the rules” when it comes to officiating.
Who said that they were Italian athletes? The major problem was that the German Track and Field Federation refused to send in Karl-Heinz Neumann’s registration unless the Italians change the rules. Now blame it on the Italians….
Do they not know what a deadline is? Pretty simple process..you follow directions and get your stuff in before the deadline…wait, I want a shot at a late entry!
Mary, you will certainly see some more “waiving of the rules” when it comes to officiating. They were waived at Linz: “From the facts that we are aware of, the procedures used to conduct the 4×200 Relay at the WMA Indoor Championships at Linz were not in compliance with IAAF rules.” That is WMA’s Rex Harvey more than a year later.
I had filed a complaint against my BMAF Team Manager on precisely those grounds. The BMAF and the WMA ignored that legitimate complaint. Instead BMAF Chairman Winston Thomas disqualified me from competition for being a troublemaker. Then WMA happily ratified that ruling and now attempts to make a doubtful British ruling applicable worldwide. There is certainly one law for BMAF and WMA officers and another for athletes. Good luck at Riccione you guys. I can’t be there.
Guys, it was never stated in the original blog that the late entries were Italians. Whatever nationalities they have does not matter. Disclosed was the practical approach to the deadline that let additional athletes in. I like it.
Mmmm I forgot. Back in 2006 the Chairman of the WMA Laws and Legislation Committee informally told me when I complained about the BMAF rules infringements that it is OK to “stretch the rules a bit”.
Leave a Reply