Olympic selection process comes under fire

THE news that Alex Miller has been selected to represent Namibia in mountain biking at next year’s Olympic Games has not been met with universal acclaim.

Miller’s selection was recently announced by the Namibian Cycling Federation (NCF) following a thrilling qualifying series and rivalry between himself and Tristan de Lange, during which fortunes swayed to and fro.

De Lange was gutted with the announcement, but still had the dignity to wish Miller well, although he added that he did not agree with the selection process.

“It’s takes time to process news like this. I’ve been working towards the Tokyo Olympics since 2015 and always delivered… To be sidelined now, a year in advance, is a hard pill to swallow. I have my own views and performance reasons towards the selection, but that’s irrelevant now,” he said.

Now Namibian cycling legend Mannie Heymans, who also sponsors Miller through his company Mannie’s Bike Mecca, has added his dismay with the selection process, despite the fact that his cyclist has been selected.

“I was dumbstruck when I heard the news. It just doesn’t make sense that they select the cyclists now for the Olympic Games which is still a year away. They are selecting the cyclists now on their form for 2020, but not for 2021 and I’m not happy with that,” he said.

Ï congratulated Alex, but I said he should have been selected next year, not now. What motivation does he have to stay in form now and what will keep him on his toes now. The qualifying period should be six months leading up to the Olympics and you can’t use the performance of a year ago.

“I support him 100 percent and I believe he would do it again if he had to qualify next year, because he is very good, but I just don’t know why they want to select him now for next year,” he added.

Heymans lay the blame with the Namibia Olympic Committee.

“The National Olympic Committee made the decision, but how can they select athletes now, in all the other codes as well – it’s as if the athletes are all getting freebies now, a year in advance” he said, adding:

“A lot of people are not happy about this, but they don’t have the balls to say anything.”

The secretary general of the NNOC, Joan Smit, however, made short shrift of Heymans’ statement.

“That is not true at all. The Namibia Cycling Federation determined the selection criteria for the mountain bike and road cycling categories. We had a meeting with them when we discussed the qualifying criteria for the Olympic Games, and then they followed their criteria and gave it to all their athletes,” she said, adding: “It’s not 100 percent definite that Alex has qualified, because the mountain bike quota places will only be confirmed by the international cycling union, UCI, in March next year.”

She said the selection process would give the athletes enough time to prepare adequately.

“It gives the athletes enough time to prepare properly for the Olympics, which is normally not the case. Now Alex knows exactly what to work towards and work out a training and competition programme. Now there is ample time to work out a strategy and if confirmed by the UCI he will be ready,” she said.

The president of the NCF, Axel Theissen, concurred, saying it was better to give the athletes more time to prepare.

“NCF felt that the selection must be done now to get all the UCI documents in place and to give enough time for the cyclists to prepare. You can’t tell them to be ready three months before the event, that will be too short notice and it needs proper planning. But it will only be clarified in March next year, it’s 99% certain that Alex will go, but only then will it be 100%,” he said.

“It was the right decision – there are no other qualifying events this year and the national coach Hans du Toit didn’t object, he said it’s the right time to do the vote now,” he added.

“To get UCI readiness, the time is right to act now. Alex must know what to prepare for, and he will have to do a track inspection, and in order to get a better starting spot in Tokyo, he will have to compete at more UCI events. Marc Bassingthwaighte, for instance, had to start at the back of the field in 2012 which hampered his chances,” he said.