2015 Celtic Games – Under-18 Team

1st August 2015, Falkirk, Scotland

Selection Policy – published May 2015

Overview

The overall objective of the international competitions programme is to prepare Welsh athletes to perform at the best of their ability at major, senior Championship events (e.g. the Commonwealth Games). As part of that strategy, Welsh Athletics is committed to providing international competition opportunities to developing and aspirational Welsh athletes. International competitions are categorised as one of the following:

  1. International Matches(where a Welsh team is fielded in a competitive fixture against other teams)
  2. International Overseas Fixtures (an international, overseas competition that provides Welsh athletes of the appropriate standard with a conducive environment to achieve a good performance outcome)

The Celtic Games is classified as an International Match.

Selection Policy Aim

The selection panel will attempt to select the best U18team possible to represent Wales. It will prioritise athletes who were born in the year 1998 but will also consider those who were born in the year 1999, as appropriate.

Athlete Eligibility

To be considered for selection, athletes must satisfy the following;

  1. Be eligible to compete for Wales by either:
  2. Birth
  3. Parentage
  4. Retention
  5. Residence (minimum 2 years)
  6. Be born in either 1998 or 1999. U16 athletes (2000 and 2001 year of birth) can be considered under the specific conditions listed in the selection criteria.

Competition Format

In 2015, this fixture provides an U18 age group competition for Wales (1 per event) against U18 teams from Scotland and Ireland.

The following events will be contested:

U18Men:

100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m, 110m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles, Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump, Pole Vault, Shot Putt, Discus, Hammer, Javelin, 4x100m, 4x400m (plus invitational races in the 100m and 400m for relay athletes)

U18 Women:

100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 100m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles, 1500m Steeplechase, Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump, Pole Vault, Shot Putt, Discus, Hammer, Javelin, 4x100m, 4x400m (plus invitational races in the 100m and 400m for relay athletes)

Additional Information

The following event specific information is relevant:

Hurdle Heights and Spacings:

Event / Height / Approach / Interval / Finish
U18Women / 100m Hurdles / 76.2cm / 13.00m / 8.50m / 10.50m
U18 Men / 110m Hurdles / 91.4cm / 13.72m / 9.14m / 14.02m
U18 Women / 400m Hurdles / 76.2cm / 45.00m / 35.00m / 40.00m
U18 Men / 400m Hurdles / 83.8cm / 45.00m / 35.00m / 40.00n

Implement Weights:

Shot Putt / Discus / Hammer / Javelin
U18Women / 3 kg / 1 kg / 3 kg / 500g
U18 Men / 5 kg / 1.5 kg / 5 kg / 700g

Selection Criteria

The selection panel will attempt to select a full team, but will use its discretion in deciding whether an athlete is at an appropriate standard to represent Wales and / or whether an international competition is in the athlete’s best interests at that particular stage of their development. There is a maximum allowable team size of 38 athletes. Where appropriate, the selection panel will avoid selecting athletes in more than one event (for the health and wellbeing of the athlete and optimal performance in a single event) – with the exception of an individual event plus a relay.

U16 athletes (2000 and 2001 year of birth)may be considered,but under the following conditions:

  1. The event they are selected in is not available for U16’s at the 2015 Celtic Games
  2. They cannot be considered in the 3000m, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay events
  3. In throwing events, only U16 athletes with a 2000 year of birth can be considered for the U18 team
  4. No U16 athlete is permitted to compete in two different age groups at the same competition – i.e an U16 athlete selected in an U16 event cannot also compete in an U18 event at the 2015 Celtic Games

The Celtic Games falls within four days of the Welsh Athletics International (29th July). There will be Welsh U20 (and potentially some U17) athletes who would be eligible for selection for both matches. The selection panel will avoid selecting athletes for both matches wherever possible.

Selection Process

The selection meeting will take place on the 7th July 2015. The International Match Selection Panel (“the Panel”) will comprise of 5 voting members (2 members of the Coaching and Performance team, 2 independent members nominated by the Track and Field committee and 1 of the nominated team managers for the event) and an independent observer (non-voting).

There is no obligation to fill all available positions – as per the selection criteria.

There is no automatic selection for this event. In coming to its decision, the Panel will consider the following (in priority order):

  1. Current form (2015 season’s best performance and depth of performances)
  2. Position and performance at the 2015 UK U20 Championships OR the 2015 Welsh U17 Championships, on the20th / 21st June
  3. Position and performance at the 2015 Welsh Schools Championships on the 4th July
  4. Head to head competitive records
  5. Injury status
  6. Any other factors that, in the panel’s opinion, give Wales the best chance of success in the match

Selected athletes will be informed via e-mail by Friday 10th July. The team will be announced on Friday 17th July.

Appeals Process

There shall be no right of appeal to the selection of the Welsh team made by the Panel.

De-Selection Process

De-selection of an athlete may occur following:

  1. Failure to achieve the standard fitness testing protocols
  2. Failure to adhere to the Welsh Athletics athlete code of conduct

In the event that an athlete sustains an injury following acceptance of their position on the team, they are required to inform the Team Leader immediately.

Confirmation of Team Staff

The following positions will be confirmed by the Panel following the selection of the athletes:

  1. Team Leader
  2. Team Managers
  3. Team Coaches
  4. Team Medical Staff

Amendment

Welsh Athletics reserves the right to amend this Selection Policy at its sole discretion and will make any amended version publically available (including the date on which the amendment was made) at

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