t_monk wrote:I prefer there not be 5 athletes from one country in one race...
Why not?
Isn't the World Championships supposed to be reflective of the very best in each event? Don't we, as track fans, recognize that some countries are stronger than others in specific events? What really is wrong with a country being able to field five athletes in an event? Remember, two of those would have earned their spots after having won the previous World Championship and previous Diamond League championship so they are not slouches. The other three would come from a national trials or selection, and they would have to attain the A standard as well. We're not talking about fielding a female 100m runner that can't break 13 seconds or anything similar.
Additionally, as much as I dislike it, the three semi-final system (presuming a sprint event) may mostly likely whittle those five down to three, possibly four. In all likelihood the five would not all make it to the final. But at least along the way we would have hopefully seen a higher level of competition than we do now. And isn't that what we want, or should want?