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 Selection should be fair and reasonable to all athletes seeking selection.
2.4 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.
2.5 Selections will be finalised at a selection meeting of all athletes who wish to be considered.
2.6 Team managers will 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. Team
Managers have the final decision.
- 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 entered an individual event during the
Championships.
3.2 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
competing at the time of the meeting).
(b) The athlete must be able to evidence a performance which is worthy of selection
during the current indoor/outdoor season as applicable.
(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 or other published
website 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 When two relays of the same distance occur on the same day e.g. mixed relays and gender
specific relay, these relays will normally be comprised of different athletes. Consideration will
be given to athletes who may wish to double up (with 2.1 in mind), however, the team’s interest
will take priority over athletes personal preferences including utilising reserves from the first
relay as needed.
3.6 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. Athletes can be named as reserves for more
than one team/age group.
3.7 Any athlete deemed to be applying pressure of any kind (verbally, physically, psychologically or
via social media) will be deemed ineligible for selection.
BMAF Team Management 2024