© Copyright – 2016 – Athletics Illustrated 
Did Brendan Hoff’s performance during the 2016 Canadian Track and Field Championships this weekend point out an issue with the selection process for the IAAF World Junior Championships? Should the prospective athletes be required to compete head-to-head to qualify rather than just run under the qualification standard?
Hoff became the Canadian Junior Track and Field Champion in the 1500-metre distance today and in the process he twice defeated two athletes who ran faster than him, after he provisionally qualified for the world juniors; they are going to the world championships he is not.
Hoff ran under the standard of 3:48.00 during the 2016 Victoria Track Classic, crossing the line in the time of 3:47.38.
Hoff demonstrated competitive readiness by winning the semi-final and final races at Foote Field in Edmonton this weekend.
Hoff, who will be attending the University of Victoria, left nothing to chance in the semi-final. There were two heats and he ran the fastest time for both races even though the top four in both competitions, plus the next four fastest times would advance.
Hoff crossed the line in the final in the time of 3:56.81. In the semi he finished in 3:56.27.
Finishing second was Brantford’s Kyle Madden who recorded a time of 3:57.33. Third was Braydon Rennie of Mississauga in 3:57.55. Mark Patton of Guelph finished fifth in the time of 3:58.20. It was Rennie and Patton, who ran faster times than Hoff this summer, after Hoff had initially qualified for the World juniors.
Not to take anything away from the excellent efforts of each athlete, but Hoff should be going to the World Junior Championships, which will be taking place July 19 to 24 in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
The Olympic team is being selected from this weekend’s competition on Monday. Although there is less time between nationals and world juniors, than the time between nationals and the Rio Olympic Games, the same athletes did compete head-to-head this weekend anyway.
Perhaps there is a flaw in the system that needs to be addressed.
Hoff, originally from Campbell River, owns every Vancouver Island High School record in the 1500-metre and the 3,000-metre distances from grade 9 to grade 12. He owns the provincial high school records for both distances, which he set this spring. He is also the provincial cross-country high school champion.
Hoff turned down at least 26 NCAA Division 1 offers to compete for the University of Victoria Vikes and continue to work with his local coach, Heather Henniger in the Athletics Canada Western Hub.
Semi-final top-four:
1 Hoff, Brendan 98 Victoria 3:56.27Q heat 1
2 Madden, Kyle 98 Brantford 4:01.02Q heat 2
3 Rennie, Braydon 97 Mississauga 3:56.85Q heat 1
4 Patton, Mark 97 Guelph 4:01.07Q heat 2
Final top-five:
1 Hoff, Brendan 98 Victoria 3:56.81
2 Madden, Kyle 98 Brantford 3:57.33
3 Rennie, Braydon 97 Mississauga 3:57.55
4 Dannatt, Charlie 99 Vancouver 3:57.98
5 Patton, Mark 97 Guelph 3:58.20
