I don’t know if Moffitt should have been named reserve over Charles in this case. I wouldn’t think the spread in rankings alone necessarily points to one over another, especially given the strange year. I’ve watched her but not him, so I don’t feel equipped to judge.
BUT unsympathetic dad aside, I do find it discouraging how blatantly political team selections often are. It’s not unusual to have one rider unofficially “run” a team, automatically ensuring their own students/associates are chosen over other riders with better performances. The Australians are having this discussion now following their debacle. Irish had it a couple years ago, and I’ve heard grumblings in Canada. I don’t know about the Brits but their failure to name any women in decades does point to some kind of old guard.
I don’t think purely numeric selections are the answer, but I also don’t think it’s wrong to ask for some defined criteria and some transparency. I can’t think of any other sport where that isn’t the case.