The clock is ticking for those who want to go to Tokyo...
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The third part will be published Wednesday after the latest World Athletics Road To Tokyo standings are published and the conclusion of the three European meets Wednesday.
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For those looking to secure their spots to the Tokyo world championships, the clock is ticking towards the end of the qualifying period that ends Sunday.
Entering the final week of the qualifying, we've identified Washington alums Justin O'Toole (number 15), Aaron Ahl (above/Paul Merca photo) and Amina Maatoug as the three who could sneak in.
Maatoug has a five race average score of 1179 points, while the last person in the quota of 56 athletes has an average of 1164 points.
If it weren't for the fact that fellow countryman Marco Arop of Canada is the defending world champion, recent Washington grad Justin O'Toole would have at best, an outside shot at qualifying for the world championships in the men's 800. However, Arop owns a wild card for winning the world title in Budapest two years ago.
O'Toole finished second in the Canadian championships behind Arop, but does not have the qualifying standard of 1:44.50, which Abdullahi Hassan and Matti Erickson do have.
O'Toole currently has a five race average score of 1198 points, 31 points behind the last person inside the quota in the Road To Tokyo standings in the 800 (top 56 athletes go).
After his breakthrough performance at the NACAC Championships Sunday, Washington alum Aaron Ahl has moved up in the Road To Tokyo standings in the men's 3000 steeplechase.
After running a personal best of 8:17.17 in the area championships, Ahl boosted his three-meet average score (three is required in the steeple and 5000) to 1232 points, which, pending the results of other meets around the world this weekend, puts him at number 37,
Ahl's dilemma is compounded by the fact that 35 of 36 possible entries in the steeplechase all have the world championships standard of 8:15.00.
To put it mildly, Ahl can't depend on a world ranking score to get in--he has to hit the standard.
In a direct message, Ahl will not go to Europe or compete anywhere for a last chance shot at getting the standard. He noted that the only two major European meets with steeplechases on the schedule were the British Milers Club MarketAxess Tooting Bec Wednesday, and the Van Damme Memorial in Brussels on Friday. Given the travel from Bahamas to Canada, then to London, the timing wouldn't work, and in the case of the Van Damme, it was too late to secure an invitation.
In addition to Maatoug, O'Toole, and Ahl, incoming Washington grad transfer Chloe Thomas of Canada in the women's 5000 and Walla Walla native Dash Sirmon in the men's javelin, have outside chances of earning world ranking points to go to Tokyo.
Both competed at this past weekend's NACAC Championships in Freeport, Bahamas.
Thomas finished fourth in the 5000, running 15:39.77, which was worth 1087 points, plus 105 bonus points for a total of 1192 points, giving her a three race average of 1169. It's currently 12 points short of the 42nd and final quota mark of 1181 points.
At NACAC, Sirmon threw a best of 252-9 (77.04m).
For his second place effort, Sirmon scored 1059 points, plus earned 145 points for a grand total of 1204 points, clearly the best score of his top five marks in the qualifying period.
Sirmon's five-meet average after the NACAC championships boosts him up to 1112 points in the Road to Tokyo, with 1137 points currently in the 36th position.
As of this writing, it's unknown what Thomas will do. Sirmon's season is done, according to Nebraska head coach Justin St. Clair.
MEETS IN PFUNGSTADT, LAUSANNE & LONDON WEDNESDAY...
Of the five named, O'Toole is scheduled to race in the 800 at the Internationales Abendsportfest in Pfungstadt, Germany on Wednesday. He'll run in a field that included Isaiah Harris and Brannon Kidder of the Brooks Beasts.
Washington alum Kieran Lumb of Canada, who appears to be safely inside the quota in the men's 1500, is entered in his specialty in Pfungstadt as he tries to boost his score from his current five event average of 1235 points.
He's entered in a field that includes Waleed Suliman and Parker Stokes of the Brooks Beasts.
Washington alums Eleanor Fulton and Kayley DeLay are also entered in the women's 1500.
Also happening Wednesday is the Athletissima Lausanne meet in Lausanne, Switzerland, the 13th stop on the season-long Wanda Diamond League circuit.
Washington alum Brian Fay of Ireland, who is ranked number 40 (42 is the quota), is entered in the 5000, where he has a three-race score of 1227 points, only six behind the last athlete in the quota.
With the Diamond League meets the third tier of meets in the World Athletics category of competitions (Olympics/World Championships; Diamond League finals; Diamond League meets), Fay has the ability to pick up anywhere from 35 bonus points for a 12th place finish all the way up to 180 bonus points for the win, in addition to the time score.
Also entered in Lausanne is Woodinville native Olivia Markezich in the women's 3000 steeplechase.
Flotrack ($) will stream the meet in the USA starting at 11 am Pacific time. The start list and link to live results is available here.
Finally on the docket Wednesday, Washington alum India Weir is entered in the top section of the women's 1500 at the British Milers Club MarketAxess Tooting Bec meet in London.
Parker Stokes of the Brooks Beasts is entered in the men's 3000 steeplechase, as is Daniel Michalski, who won the NACAC steeplechase on Sunday and went under the world championships standard of 8:15.00.
Michalski has not been scratched from the meet, and it's assumed he will scratch.
This race is significant as it perhaps has one of the best non Diamond League fields of any steeplechase race before the qualifying period ends. The field has eight runners with seed times of 8:18 or better all aiming for 8:15 or faster.
The start list for the British Milers Club MarketAxess Tooting Bec meet in London is available here.
Media partner RunnerSpace.com ($) will stream the meet starting at 10:25 am Pacific time.
NOTE: World Athletics, the Wanda Diamond League, the British Milers Club, and the Internationales Abendsportfest Meeting contributed to this report.
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