GUIDANCE FOR THE SELECTION OF GREAT BRITAIN & NORTHERN IRELAND SPRINT RELAY TEAMS
AT EUROPEAN & WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- INTRODUCTION
These proposals have been drafted by the team managers, with support from a number of sprinters from differing age groups, all of whom have experience in international relay selection processes.
This will provide a methodology upon which athletes can rely and which will result in a consistent and fair method of selection. - OVERRIDING PRINCIPLES
The overriding selection principles shall be:
2.1 The best relay squad for each age group and gender (or in the case of mixed relays combination of genders) shall be selected from those athletes who are eligible, willing and able to run.
2.2 Athletes should be selected in their own age group where a full squad can be fielded in that age group.
2.3 The selections should be finalised at a selection meeting of all athletes who wish to be considered for selection.
2.4 Selection should be fair and reasonable to all athletes seeking selection.
2.5 It will be the responsibility of each athlete to signify his or her desire to be considered for selection to the team management in writing (on an expression of interest form on the GB&NI noticeboard). All detail requested should be provided.
2.6 Wherever possible the selection should be made by the athletes themselves in line with the guidance below, but in the event of disagreement the decision shall be made by the Team Manager(s). In either case the guidance below shall be applied in resolving any disagreement.
2.7 Team managers will also have responsibility for wider oversight across all teams and may make decisions in the interests of both individual athletes and the GB and NI team. - GUIDANCE
The following factors should be considered in deciding the make-up of relays squads:
3.1 Eligibility is only available to those who have competed in an individual event during the Championships.
3.2 Priority should be given to those who have competed in a relevant sprint event (60m, 100m, 200m, 400m or similar hurdle events) at the championships in question. Those competing in other events can also express an interest and be considered e.g. combined eventers or middle distance runners.
3.3 An athlete who has not competed in the relevant sprint event at the championships in question should only be considered in preference to one who has competed by applying the following:
(a) The athlete must attend the selection meeting (or send a deputy if they are ompeting at the time of the meeting).
(b) The athlete must be able to evidence a performance which is worthy of selection during the current season e.g., indoor/outdoor that year.
(c) The performance relied upon must be ideally over the distance in question and one which was electronically timed, is recorded on Power of 10 and should include a wind reading. Less weight will be given to the validity of a time which is hand-timed, electronically timed but without a wind reading, or electronically timed with a wind reading that exceeds the legal limit of wind assistance (2.0m/s).
3.4 Where there are less than four athletes available to make up a team, places may be filled by athletes moving from an older team where it will not impact the older team. This is at Team Manager’s discretion.
3.5 Reserves will be identified for each team where sufficient athletes allow. These will be selected on the same basis as the first four team members.
3.6 Mixed relays will normally be comprised of the two reserves in the same age group when two relays of the same distance occur on the same day
3.7 Any athlete deemed to be applying pressure verbally, physically, psychologically or via social media will be deemed ineligible for selection.