Recall Brian McKeever, the legally blind skier who qualified for the Canadian Men’s Olympic Cross Country Ski Team?
As of this morning, he’s been dropped from the Team.
… Canadian cross-country ski coaches met Friday night to consider their lineup for Sunday’s final event, the men’s 50-kilometres. The decision was made to go with Ivan Babikov, Alex Harvey, George Grey and Devon Kershaw. Since no nation is allowed to field more than four racers in a cross-country event that means McKeever will not become the first winter athlete to compete in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Team manager Dave Wood along with head coach Inge Braten were unavailable for comment Friday night. Earlier in the day, Braten spoke to the Canadian Press and said he had to be professional “and choose the guys who are the best for the 50-km. Normally, sorry to say, all four are faster than Brian. And I think they can fight for a medal, all four of them. And then I have to pick out one who has a medal chance and put in Brian? That’s the situation. I don’t like it.” …
Globe and Mail – Blind skier denied chance to make history
Tough call. This decision is not going to be popular.
Brian McKeever will still race in the Paralympics, a big favourite.
6 comments ↓
Huh. I thought this guy was already on the team, not just a possible team member. Talk about waiting ’till the last minute to decide your team.
Unpopular decision, but probably very well founded. To make such an unpopular decision, I would bet there is little question in the mind of the coach….jmo
Most sports take guys on the team who travel but do net get to compete. Relays in track for example usually work like this (6 women are going, 4 women actually get to start).
I like this decision because it shows that the blind guy is treated like a regular athletes. That’s how it should be.
Now that I think of it, this can happen in gymnastics too. There’s been times when athletes were on the team but weren’t chosen to compete in finals. It’s more rare for fewer team members than allowed to compete in prelims. Usually it only happens if someone is too hurt to compete or if the team didn’t actually bring the “extra” athletes.
[...] the same race, by the way, where coaches decided not to compete the alternate, blind skier Brian McKeever: … Alex Harvey of St-Ferreol-les-Neiges, Que., and Ivan Babikov [...]
[...] happy follow-up to the disappointing story of how Canadian coaches opted not to put blind skier Brian McKeever into the line-up during the Vancouver Olympics. … As Brian McKeever and his brother Robin raced toward [...]
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