KEY POINTS:
Top athletics selector John Bowden believes it's time to consider changing New Zealand's system of Olympic and Commonwealth Games selection.
Bowden, convenor of the Athletics New Zealand track and field selectors, reckons his sport should look at adopting the "on-the-day" method, where athletes must achieve qualifying standards for big international events at a specific event.
At present, athletes have a range of events over about a year at which they can post qualifying times that will get them to the start line at a major games.
While it offers plenty of opportunities to athletes, the down side is the qualifying mark can be done months before the event, leaving plenty of time for form to slip.
Swimming uses a system where Olympic hopefuls must do the time at a specific meet, usually the national championships.
Other countries use it in athletics, which has led to some outstanding African runners missing out.
But Bowden believes the sport needs a major shake-up.
"It's something we might have to look at," he said.
"It's another way of getting athletes to perform when it counts, in this little window.
"Maybe at the New Zealand and Australian champs, where they are back to back. Why can't we qualify in those championship-type settings?"
Bowden conceded the risk of bad weather affecting performances might put a dampener on the idea but he believes it warrants at least a hard look.
By the time qualification for the London Olympics in 2012 comes round, it could be in place, he said.
He knows others in his sport might not share his view, possibly motivated by self-interest.
Athletics has had a reputation for being soft on Games selections, often with disastrous results when the big event came round.
Bowden believes it's time to toughen up, and oblige athletes to perform on a set day.
Working out why athletes qualify, then don't match those performances on the big stage, is occupying Bowden's mind.
"We've got to create that culture in athletics that we can't make up the numbers any more.
"We need to have high expectations, and I think that's starting to happen."
Bowden pointed out Athletics NZ has a clause in its criteria that athletes' past performances will be taken into account for Beijing.
Simply putting up a qualifying mark won't necessarily be sufficient for a seat on the plane to China.
Athletics NZ is aiming for about 10 athletes to qualify for Beijing.
A team of 11 are attending August's world championships in Osaka.
"Athletes can't just say, 'I've done the standard, I'm automatically in the team now', then we don't see them again until the champs, and they don't perform as well. I don't think that's fair on the sport," Bowden said.
Six athletes have already done the qualifying standards for Beijing.
Nina Rillstone, in finishing seventh in last August's New York Marathon in 2h 31m 19s, went under the 2h 33m requirement. Commonwealth Games 1500m champion Nick Willis qualified last weekend at Los Angeles with 3m 35.85s, just 0.75s below the standard.
Throwers Valerie Vili and Beatrice Faumuina have put up qualifying distances, Commonwealth champion Vili's 19.47m at the John Walker meet in March murdering the shot standard by more than a metre.
10,000m national champion Kimberley Smith's 31m 20.63s at Stanford, California, last month eclipsed her own New Zealand record and was 25s inside the qualifying mark.
Another American-based athlete, Michael Aish, has posted qualifying times in both the 10,000m - 27m 46s - and the marathon, with his 2h 13m 42s at Fukuoka last December.
