Australian sprinter Rohan Browning has criticised the revised qualifying format for the 100m at this year’s Commonwealth Games.
On the eve of the athletics program, officials confirmed a significant change to how athletes would progress through the opening stage of the blue-riband sprint event.
For the first time, the eight highest-ranked male sprinters were granted direct entry into the semi-finals, bypassing the initial round entirely.
The remaining competitors, however, were forced into a crowded time-trial-style qualification process, with places in the next round decided across 11 heats.
Browning and fellow Australian speedster Eddie Nketia both managed to advance to the semi-finals despite the new system.
Rohan Browning has voiced his frustration with the new 100m qualifying system at the Commonwealth Games
Under the revised format, the top eight ranked sprinters receive an automatic place in the semi-finals
Browning edged into the semi-finals with a time of 10.54, finishing 16th in what effectively became 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.
