Third Chance?

[SwissPosition]

In defence of the current system...

 

In order to remain viable, the GPs need to contain a balance of the major nationalities, whilst also picking a group of riders who are (in the main) the "best" in the world. This more or less requires some sort of fudged selection policy. Without the national balance fudges we see in the current system, it's extremely likely that we'd see no Brits in the GPs next year, with no guarentee of ever seeing Brits there again (given how unpredictable the old qualifiying system was). Without representation, I would imagine British viewing figures would fall, as would interest in Cardiff.

 

Of the "casual" fans I know, one of their key reasons for watching the GPs is to see how the Brits are doing. No Brits (or, perhaps, at some stage...no Poles, or no no Danes, or maybe no Swedes) would result in a serious drop-off in viewing figures, and the resultant drop in advertising revenue would leave prestige events like Cardiff in very, very precarious position.

 

Having said all that, if it was up to me (violently in agreement with Henry here, I think) we'd have the following...

 

"The SwissPosition System".

 

(Assuming a 15 rider + local wildcard system)

 

- The 15 will compose a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 riders from each or Denmark, Sweden, Poland, GB and Australia. Where the national limit for a nation is reached, no other riders from that nation will be considered.

 

- The top 8 in the series, as now, will qualify by right. Should national limits be reached within the top 8 (e.g. five Swedes make the top 8) then the place(s) of the lowest ranking unqualified riders will be added to the "other seven".

 

Qualification for the "other seven" would be decided as follows (still subject to national limits)

 

- A rider must have acquired an average this season in TWO of the Elite leagues in either Sweden, Poland or GB.

 

- The riders best two sans-BP averages are totalled up and a table made of the riders who wish to be considered for the GPs.

 

- Should a nation be below its national limit, places will be offered from the list to riders of that nation first in order to bring that nation up to its limit.

 

- The remaining riders are offered places in the GPs in the order they appear in the combined average tables (or passed over should their national limit be reached).

 

Okay, it's a bit fiddly, but the net result would be....

 

No domination of the series by any given nation.

 

Guarenteed representation for all the major nations (yes, have left the Yanks out, but the national list could happily be ammended to reflect national strengths)

 

A good performance in the GPs still (pretty much) ensures a place for next year.

 

League racing becomes a *lot* more important for the top riders.

 

Qualification would not involve attending "special" meetings that take riders away from league racing.

 

Qualification would not throw up "unknowns".

[AndyM]

"National balance" has been the curse of world championships since I can remember. It would be good if we could have one year at least where riders qualified on merit, regardless of nationality, just to see what difference that makes.

[SwissPosition]

Andy, would also like to see it tried, but it would take quite a bit of monitoring lest any of the major nations be excluded. As it stands at the moment, the Swedes and Danes have really got their youth "pipelines" going (or, "the Premier League" as the latter stage of the Danish system is known), and both nations are likely to be a bit too strong in the medium term to allow for a free-for-all World Championship.

[AndyM]

Good for them. All the more reason to open the field out - might encourage the rest to develop their own young talent - the UK, for instance!