You say that in the last 6 WOC's we've had no qualifiers 3 times.
Hmm...
2003 - Brian May, middle
2004 - Brian May, sprint
2005 - Erin Olafsen, middle
2006 - Hillary Saeger, Samantha Saeger, sprint
2007 - Sandra Zurcher, sprint
2008 - no one
Doesn't look like 3/6 to me.

At the same time, you have a point about qualifying for WOC finals being a very tough goal for the US currently, especially on the men's side. I think people back home, including runners with WOC aspirations but without WOC experience, have no idea how high the level of competition is and how many countries have very strong runners. So maybe it is time to rethink some of these goals. Do you have any suggestions ahead of the US Team meeting in Laramie? We are all ears.
 

Boris, I'm using the Worldofo.com history, which turns out to be wrong. E.g. doesn't list Erin as a qualifier in 2005 or Brian in 2004. I'll have to post a "correction" later today.

Michael
 

I really have enjoyed this WOC analysis and want to make it clear that this comment is not a criticism of the US team but rather hopeful useful direction. Like any goal setting a person does these should have major and minor goals and goals 1, 3, 5 and 10 years into the future.

Major goals could be to:
- one top 15 qual finish
- two top 20 qual finishes
- five top 25
- top 20 women's relay
-top 25 men's relay

Minor goals
-improve relative to our peer nations

Future goals 3 years
-two top 15 quali results

5 years
-three top 15 quali results
-top 30 'A' final
-top 15/20 in W/M relays

10 years
-three top 30 results and one top 15 result
-top 10 relay

..for example

then once those long term goals are set you determine the resources and plan (and recruiting) necessary to make it happen.

beating Canada is a lame goal as it can be done (possibly) at races in NA anytime.

Think BIG like the US normally does, develop the plan, utilize the resources and the results will be there.

MW
 

MW,

I like your goal suggestions. Would you mind if I brought those up at the next US Team meeting when we talk about future team goals?

By the way, while I agree that beating Canada is a lame goal, we still think about it at WOC, even if we didn't have it as a stated goal. And I know you guys think about beating the US the same way.
 

Is the US team run as a sort of co-op, or are there non-athletes in leadership roles?
 

The US Team is run by an Executive Steering Committee, which consists of both team members and non-team members, usually 3 of the former and 4 of the latter.
Who is asking?
 

Yes feel free to bring them up Boris. As you know the reason I hosted those two winter camps as joint US-CAN camps is that we need to bring the best out of each other - and beat each other at WOC. :)

MW