Leo Magnusson, who ran the second fastest statistical time in Europe, criticized the country’s Olympic committee, which did not select a single Swedish man for the 3000 meter steeplechase at the Olympics.
The Swedish runner who was left out of the Olympics due to the decision that caused an uproar Leo Magnusson ran his new record in the 3,000 meter hurdles on Sunday.
The Swede clocked a time of 8:13.08 in Zagreb, Croatia. Of the Europeans, only Spain Daniel Arce has covered the distance faster than that this season (8.08.45).
In Sweden’s all-time statistics, Magnusson’s new record is the third fastest time.
– Of course, I feel that the competition is further proof of what all the statistics and facts pointed to before the Olympics – that the Swedish steeplechase runners would have deserved a place in the Olympics, because our chances of making it to the top 12 would have been obvious, Magnusson communicated for Aftonbladet.
In July, the Swedish Olympic Committee (SOK) decided not to select a single athlete for the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Paris Olympics, even though four runners, Magnusson among them, would have been eligible. The country’s Olympic Committee wanted to send to Paris only those athletes who were seen as having a chance to finish in the top 12.
Magnusson’s time in Zagreb on Sunday would have brought him 10th place in the Olympic final.
In his writing, Magnusson harshly criticized the Swedish Olympic Committee and its head of athletics Thomas Engdahl. He accuses her of going on vacation in the last week of Olympic selection instead of taking her job seriously and analyzing the runners’ competitions and situation.
– It is their problem that the SOK does everything to ensure that Swedish athletes are replaced by lower ranked athletes, Magnusson wrote to a Swedish newspaper.
Magnusson and five other eligible athletes who were not selected for the Olympics have appealed the decision to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport, CAS.