How much easier could top sports director Tore Øvrebø have made it for himself by simply taking hurdler Jacob Boutera to the Olympics. Only a few days ago, few Norwegians had any closer relationship with the runner from Romerike. That changed when decay and injuries to foreign competitors suddenly meant that Boutera met the requirements set by the International Association of Athletics Federations for participation in Paris. It was still not enough for the Norwegian Olympic chief. This leads to accusations of both inconsistency and arrogance. Soon here too. But it doesn’t seem to bother Øvrebø, who refuses to expand the squad from 109 to 110 participants. Part of the dozen For suddenly the Olympiatoppen has gained principles. One of them is that you have to be a top 12 candidate to be selected. Boutera does not meet this now essential requirement, believes Olympiatoppen, which must be noted includes more professional resources in athletics than Øvrebø himself. Because there is no doubt that Øvrebø is a resource. He just has a slightly different way of communicating it. In this case, more than 20 athletes have already been selected. And it is hardly perceived as a great insult to Grønstad, Mezngi, Simen Guttormsen, Mardal, Thomsen, Iuel, Kloster, Retzius or Llano to say that they also do not appear as obvious candidates to end up in the top Olympic dozen in their respective exercises. NOT GOOD ENOUGH: Jacob Boutera gave a full nail out of the water pit on his way to NM gold in Sandnes, but the top sports director was not among those who were impressed. Photo: Carina Johansen / NTB But in Boutera’s case it suddenly became decisive. “The reference for being selected for participation is a documented probability of being able to be among the 12 best in the Olympics”, Tore Øvrebø wrote to news. Tempting confusion One of the things that has obviously been most frustrating for Boutera has been the lack of clarity around the deadlines for qualifying for the Olympics. Boutera had therefore failed to meet the performance requirements set by the Athletics Federation in consultation with the Olympiatoppen, otherwise identical requirements to those the International Athletics Federation (WA) operates with. In this sense, Boutera did not deserve to participate. But WA also operates with another route to the Olympics. If there are fewer athletes who have passed the international requirements than there should be the number of starters in the individual exercise in the Olympics, athletes are offered an Olympic place based on a ranking. In Boutera’s event, the 3,000 meter hurdles, there are 36 athletes who will compete in the Olympics. NO NEW CHANCE: Jacob Boutera was eliminated in the attempt during the WC in Eugene two years ago. The revenge will not come in Paris. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB After the aforementioned failure – combined with a corresponding reluctance in other countries to send participants who are not considered to have a good enough chance of achieving top results – the Roman king Boutera was suddenly among the 36 best qualified according to the International the athletics association’s qualification system. This became officially clear on 7 July. The Norwegian Athletics Federation had operated with 8 July, the international deadline for qualifying, for its athletes. But at one point or another, the Olympiatoppen had decided that the finish line should be set on 3 July. That’s how it turned out. Olympiatoppen is Norwegian sports’ own political bureau in the Olympic context. The decisions are proclaimed in press releases, they are basically not justified. And Boutera ended up as a kind of disenfranchised Olympic quota refugee, in a somewhat narrow sense. Real understanding of the Olympics But where Øvrebø really has to be said to miss is when he suddenly becomes philosophical about the Olympics. Or just condescending. Here, each individual can make their own judgement. Because when Øvrebø actually spoke to news before the weekend, on a general basis about those who the Olympiatoppen placed on the wrong side of the selection line, he said: “There will be athletes who are completely borderline to be able to benefit from participating in the Olympics, as we understand the Olympics here in Norway”. How we understand the Olympics here in Norway. Taste it a little. No one doubts who has the defining power for that understanding. And it’s not Jacob Boutera. It was, for once, very easy to agree with Gjert Ingebrigtsen, who called it all “arrogant”. The Norwegian pyramid It must be added that the Norwegian system for withdrawals has its obvious qualities. Tore Øvrebø and his colleagues in the Olympiatoppen have and should have the final say in everything about selection for the Olympics. The special associations shall not themselves be the final decision-makers. But the manner in which this absolute power is exercised must be discussed. Tore Øvrebø doesn’t seem to be interested in that. Then there will be noise. In the well-deserved category. Because here the Olympic summit and the Athletics Federation have obviously communicated far too poorly. And let it happen to an innocent performer. DEFINING POWER: Tore Øvrebø. Photo: Vidar Ruud / NTB Which may not or may not become one of Øvrebø’s eight medal hopes. But who also should not have ended up as a victim in a situation that appears to be particularly inelegant, bordering on disrespectful, handled. Boutera does not hold back on the criticism in a very emotional post on Facebook. But we’ll give one point to Tore Øvrebø in the end anyway. Boutera’s personal record in the 3,000 meter steeplechase from earlier this year had only resulted in 13th place in the WC final in Budapest last year, which is the last relevant basis for comparison. So the top 12 is fortunately far from being realistic. Published 08.07.2024, at 19.57
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