Bad GB Selection Policy - The One Weekend GB Selection policy

mlovattsmith · Post by **mlovattsmith** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 1:47 pm

GB Selection policy Senior & U23 Why-O-why (I despair!) is this process based on a single weekend!
The stated aim of the selection policy is "To select the best possible athletes to represent GB at....." I cannot believe this AIM is consistant with running the selection events over two consecutive days when the best possible athlete may have a niggling injury or a virus of some sort impairing his/her performance or even attendance.
I have known a junior athlete with a crushed hand miss a selection event but still make the squad from two more events scheduled later. The junior selection process is much better!

Please reply-Athlete or Committee member-Am I the only person who can see this?

Zach · Post by **Zach** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 4:37 pm

Good point,

But with selection being close to the Senior European's maybe if an athlete has an injury they won't be in tip top condition for the impending European Champs race?

Zach

Anne · Post by **Anne** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:22 pm

The draft policy was published for all to comment on for some weeks before the final one came out.

John · Post by **John** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:50 am

The selection principles in the yearbook have always contained the injury clause:

"8. In exceptional cases, such as injury preventing participation in a selection race, the International Panel may recommend to the BCU Board via the Sports Management Committee that a person whose record in the previous year and whose current performance is exceptional but who was not eligible for early selection (for whatever reason) under paragraph 7 above is selected in advance of the selection races. Such a decision must be taken unanimously at least two weeks before Team preparations for the race begin."

mlovattsmith · Post by **mlovattsmith** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 1:26 pm

Thanks for coming back Zach, Anne and John.
Zach the Euros are 4 weeks after selection enough time to recover or lose fitness.
An interesting point is that athletes work to peak fitness for selection, but can they sustain peak fitness over a significant period?-the World Cup races are on 3 consecutive weekends-even more reason to have selection over a period of time.

Anne-I'm sorry for missing the draft policy, would be able to carry this discussion point for next years selection policy, please?

John I think it is good that there is an injury clause but this can only be invoked for exceptional cases and I don't think an athlete will attempt to run with this beaurocracy when he/she was suffering from a heavy cold or a painful pulled muscle on the selection weekend. Also pre-selection of an athlete in this way will tend to upset other athletes who have competed within selection.