A continuing interest for me is that of the athlete who makes the qualifying standard for the Olympics, but is not entered in the meet because his or her national federation sets a more stringent team selection standard. I'm not sure whether this is due to a federation's parsimony, pride, or pig-headedness. Except for a disqualifying injury, I'd think that one of these would apply in each instance and all three in some. For this reason, it has interested me to assemble a list of female vaulters who were qualified for the Games, but didn't compete in Sydney. By "qualified" I mean those who, during the qualification period, met the standard of 4.20 meters for a country's lone entrant, the standard of 4.30 meters for a second entrant from her country, and was not excluded by the limit for three entrants from each country. These, I think, are the athletes who qualified but were not entered: Katerina Badurová (CZE). The Czech Republic entered Bártova and Hamáchová. They did not enter Badurová, whose outdoor best for 2000 was 4.30m, which turned out to be the height required for the finals. Amandine Homo (FRA). France entered Marie Poissonnier and Caroline Ammel. They did not enter Homo, co-holder with Poissonnier of the French indoor record, who qualified by way of her 4.31m in the 2000 indoor season. However, her outdoor best this season was 4.10m. Talent-heavy Germany entered Nicole Humbert-Rieger and Yvonne Buschbaum. They could have chosen a third entrant from among former national record holders Nastja Ryshich (4.50m 99i, 4.10m 00o), Andrea Müller (4.45m 00i, 4.20m 00o), and Christine Adams (4.40m 00i, 4.30m 00o), as well as Sabine Schulte (4.30m 00o) or Annika Becker (4.30m 00o). Italy passed over national record holder Francesca Dolcini and former record holder Maria Carla Breschiani. Dolcini had qualifying marks of 4.26m in the 1999 outdoor season and 4.20m in outdoor 2000; while Breschiani did 4.20m both indoors and outdoors this year. Italy didn't enter a vaulter in the Olympic Games. Masumi Ono, has repeatedly revised Japan's national record (4.21m 00i, 4.20 00o). Japan didn't enter a vaulter. Monique de Wilt (NED), perhaps the most puzzling omission, has improved the Dutch national record 11 times since the Atlanta Games. Her seasonal best of 4.30m would have made the finals. Netherlands didn't enter a vaulter. Romania's NR holder, Gabriela Mihalcea, made the entry standard with 4.20m in both this year's indoor and outdoor seasons. Tatyana Köstem, the Turkish record holder, cleared the 4.20m standard in the present outdoor season, but was not selected. One closing observation: I believe the United States must be one of very few countries with no direct federal subsidy of sports. To the best of my knowledge, the U.S. entered every one of its qualified track and field athletes in the Sydney games. Cheers, Roger P.S.--If there are any strong dissents out there, please don't telephone before noon tomorrow: The women's vault final goes at midnight, British Columbia time, and I expect CBC to be carrying it in real time.
