The requirements are even higher at the next level, silver, and are clearly built around a Northern Hemisphere model.
The Classic organisers still feel that the full requirements, especially at present times, are beyond our means for a whole meeting, but individual events within the meets, and considered over a series, could meet the stringent World Athletics requirements. Further research and collegial and creative work are needed on this, but that is for the future. We will watch developments with interest as we develop proposals for consideration.
It is, however, good that the hard work under the Covid-19 red light protocols to organise the 2022 Cooks Classic has been rewarded by the retention of our status and date on a crowded calendar. The opening of the New Zealand borders allows overseas athletes to compete in New Zealand, even if rising airfares will provide some barriers for organisers and athletes.
The status of the meet does have relevance to athletes in terms of possible qualification for major global events such as the World Championships and Olympic Games. The World Athletics qualification is complex and beyond the scope of this column.
In simple terms, the changes are around a points ranking system. There are some automatic qualification performances; however, the automatic qualification is intentionally very tough, as this is at a level that will qualify 50 per cent of the targeted field. This final target is for 32 athletes for field events and a set number for each track event (for example, 48 for the 1500 metres).
This has similarities to the qualification round in field events where, if the standard set is reached in any of the three rounds of the qualifying competition, the athlete automatically qualifies for the final. The automatic qualifiers are joined by additional athletes to provide 12 athletes in that final. The qualifying standard is, again, intentionally tough.
The additional qualifiers for global events come from ranking points. The higher the category of the meet, the higher the bonus points scored based on World Athletics scoring. Gaining world ranking points is therefore important for all athletes, and the best way to gain good points is to compete in higher category meets which carry higher levels of available ranking points.
The retention of the status, and the continued focus on how we might be able to include bronze status within our existing meets, is a work in progress. Our intention is to provide a great meeting for both athletes and spectators, and confirmation of both the status of the meet and the retention of the New Zealand Mile Championships was essential and good news for Whanganui.
Last year, we offered excellent prizes and, above all, attractive incentives for the Cooks Classic. Seven athletes benefited from breaking stadium records and three more from the bonus offered in the mile (sub-4-minute for men and the equivalent for women). The prizes available in events are equal between genders, and five women and two men broke stadium records and two men and one woman gained a bonus in the mile.
Although the additional bonus points available at bronze levels are not available for the Cooks Classic, it does not prevent organisers from offering especially attractive incentives and prize money in a small selection of events to encourage participation by leading athletes who might have saved their efforts for the two New Zealand Continental Bronze Meetings.
We are in for a great January and second half of the season - a season that starts very soon. Next week, I will focus on some local athletes to watch out for in a season that starts for us on Tuesday, October 17.
