Why are there three competitors from each country allowed in individual athletics events and only two in most other disciplines like swimming, yet for some bizarre reason, the Olympic committee (IOC) and International Tennis Federation (ITF) have seen fit to allow four players from each country in the men’s and women’s singles?
There are a few exceptions, such as the cycling road races, with teams of five, but that is more about the tactics of bike racing. In general, two or three competitors from each country is the limit.
This may seem like a trivial gripe and in the grand scheme of things, it is. However, aren’t the Olympics supposed to be about inclusion? Aren’t they supposed to be a celebration of sport where people come from all around the world to compete?
Even though very few countries would agree to host the Olympic Games without extensive corporate sponsorship to defray the costs, I have difficulty seeing how including the fourth ranked player from half a dozen countries instead of a few players ranked around 100 from other countries even meets corporate goals.
The men’s and women’s singles Olympic tennis competitions are draws of 64. The top 56 ranked players as of June 11 are given automatic entry. That’s the top 56 ranked players who are available to play, not just players in the top 56. The other 8 places are wild cards, 6 chosen by the ITF and 2 by the IOC. For Australia, Lleyton Hewitt got one.
In the men’s singles competition, there are 5 countries with 4 players each: Argentina, France, Russia, Spain and the USA. Here are the men’s rankings as of June 11. With six players in the top 30 unavailable due to injury (including 2008 gold medalist Rafael Nadal), Russia’s Dimitri Tursunov sneaks in with a ranking of 66, even though it is now 138 after poor performances at the French Open and Wimbledon. The USA’s Donald Young is now ranked #60 and is playing (he was #48 on June 11). Ryan Harrison was actually their fourth ranked player at #52.
What is the point in excluding people from other nations from representing their countries at the Olympics if the result is that you allow in half a dozen players with rankings around 50, when there are already three players from those same countries in the draw? Does this in any way enhance the competition?
I can understand allowing three players from each country instead of two, as the standard of the competition would be materially lowered, however the marginal increase in overall competition standard from three to four is very small and is probably outweighed by the decrease in variety.
Actually, bugger it ... why not make it two per country? There would be some first round matches featuring players ranked #120 or #150, but that happens in the Grand Slam tournaments with draws of 128 and people see it as just part of the competition.
The above five countries have, respectively 7, 10, 6, 7 and 12 players in the top 100. Germany and Italy have 6. Suppose entry was limited to the top three from any country. Then even with no pullouts due to injury, Australia’s Matthew Ebden (rank 74) would have been the last direct qualifier. Accounting for the six players in the top 30 who did pull out, the last direct entry would have gone to Australia’s Marinko Matosevic (rank 83). Australia, a nation with a great tennis history, including Olympic gold medal winners, would have had three places (Bernard Tomic being the other). Lleyton Hewitt would have missed out, but that is fair, because he isn’t in Australia’s current top 3.
Why have slimy officials like Jacques Rogge and his cronies been allowed to deprive two Aussies of a rightful place in the Olympics? Unbelievably, we have no-one in the men’s doubles.
The women’s singles draw is no different. The Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain and the USA all have four players each. Excluding these 6 players would mean roughly the same thing as for the men’s competition: a ranking of around 80 would secure a player automatic entry and the tournament would be a slightly broader church.
I haven’t analysed the women’s competition to the same degree because no Australians are affected, so we only have Sam Stosur and two teams in the doubles.
Modern sport and in particular, the Olympics needs big money to thrive. The revenue goal is not contrary to opening up competition to more nations by sensible limits to the number of competitors from each. In fact, people from those countries might be more likely to tune in and see your sponsors’ ads.
Remember Eddie the Eagle and Eric the Eel? Would either the spirit of competition or corporate goals have been better served by excluding them in favour of a fourth Finnish or Norwegian ski jumper or fourth American or Russian swimmer?
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