Olympic Weightlifting - QWA - Articles - QWA Inc Team Selection Policy and Procedures

QWA Inc Team Selection Policy and Procedures

1. Objectives

1.1. To select the competitors with weightlifting abilities of the highest commensurate standard and who are the most able, at the time of selections, to contest the competition for which selections are made.

1.2. To select the team or teams to represent Queensland which are perceived to have the best chance of success in the competition for which selections are made.

2. Eligibility for Selection

2.1. Any QWA Member selected in a QWA Representative Team must be in good standing with his/her club, and the QWA.

2.2. Any QWA Member selected in a QWA Representative Team for National Championship events must have competed in the relevant Queensland Championship event conducted in the same calendar year as that of the event for which selections are made, i.e.:-

2.2.1. to be eligible to be selected in the Queensland Team for the National Open & Under 20 Championships, members must compete in the Queensland Open & Under 20 Championships of that year;

2.2.2. to be eligible to be selected in the Queensland Team for the National Under 16 & Under 18 Championships, members must compete in the Queensland Under 16 & Under 18 Championships of that year.

2.3. The QWA Selection Committee may consider for selection any member who has not competed in the relevant Queensland Championship event, provided that their non-participation was due to acute or severe injury or acute or severe illness, or circumstances reasonably considered to be beyond the member’s control; or that participation in the event would have caused the member severe economic hardship.

In such cases, the onus is on the member to substantiate any request for consideration and to provide such substantiation to the QWA Selection Committee within three (3) days after the conclusion of the relevant Queensland Championship event.

3. Qualifying Events

3.1. Only results achieved in the competitions specified in the official annual QWA Events Calendar as State Team Qualifying Events will be considered for selection purposes.

4. Selectors’ Duties

4.1. Publish an annual calendar of State Team Qualifying Events.

4.2. Be aware of the rules and conditions applicable to the competition to be contested by the individual or teams being selected;

4.3. Not be biased in respect of club or personal association with the member under consideration for selection and to declare any interest prior to selection of the individual or team under consideration;

4.4. Attend where possible, the respective Queensland Championships and any other State Team Qualifying Events;

4.5. Investigate the performances and other details of members under consideration of selection by talking with fellow selectors, officials, coaches, competitors and other relevant parties.

5. Selection procedure

5.1. The selection of teams or individual members to represent the QWA are to be based on the specific requirements and rules of the competition for which selections are to be made.

5.2. Potential team members are those athletes who meet the eligibility requirements of Clause 2 and who have recorded a competition total in at least one of the specified State Team Qualifying Events.

5.3. From the potential team members, Selectors are to determine and recommend the most appropriate selections for the competition to be contested. In the first instance, this is achieved by:-

5.3.1. Constructing a ranking list of all eligible athletes showing the potential team members’ best official total achieved within the State Team Qualifying Events expressed as a percentage of the D Grade total of the AWF National Classification Standards, relevant to gender and bodyweight categories;

5.3.2. Drawing up a table with age and bodyweight categories depicting anticipated team nominations; and

5.3.3. Prior to, and at selection meetings, pencilling in, deleting and reinstating and otherwise allocating names of members to the teams, according to the percentage ranking list. By this process the recommended QWA team, including Reserves as required, will be determined by the Selection Committee.

6. Announcement /Confirmation of Selections

6.1. The Selection Committee’s nominations will be communicated to all QWA Clubs and coaches prior to submission to the QWA Management Committee for ratification, in order to afford the opportunity to appeal.

6.2. The ratification of nominations is the responsibility of the QWA Management Committee. If this is not practicable, the team will be confirmed following agreement between the President, Vice President, and Secretary. Such an agreement is to be ratified at the next Management Committee meeting. Confirmation of the team will be within seven (7) days of the communication of the Selection Committee’s nominations or at the conclusion of the appeal process.

6.3. Announcement of teams is to be by way of a general notice to all QWA clubs and coaches with the QWA Executive Director and/or Team Manager having the responsibility of contacting team members in the first instance to advise them of their selection and request confirmation in writing of their acceptance or otherwise.

7. Public Comment

7.1. No comments publicly, on any individual or team selections, can be made by selectors or team management. Only the QWA President or a person duly authorised by the QWA President can comment.

8. Final Nominations

8.1. Should any selected Team Member declare that they are unavailable to compete in the event prior to the lodgement of entries, the QWA Selection Committee will nominate one or more of the selected Reserves to fill any vacancies in the Team, according to the original selection ranking and subject to the rules of the event to be contested. In such cases, the QWA Selection Committee may also nominate additional members as Reserves, subject to ratification by the QWA Management Committee.

8.2. Should any vacancies in the Team arise after the lodgement of entries, the appointed Team Manager together with the appointed Team Coaches will nominate athletes from among those eligible to compete to fill such vacancies. The primary objective in this case is to nominate the athletes who are perceived to have the best chance of achieving the highest placing within the competition. This is to be determined by referring to the published list of entries for the event.

8.3. The final nomination of the athletes who will contest the competition for which selections are made will take place at the time prescribed for this purpose by the relevant event organiser. The appointed Team Manager together with the appointed Team Coaches will confirm the bodyweight categories in which the selected athletes will compete.

9. Appeal

9.1. Any athlete may appeal their non selection on the basis that, in the specific case, their claim for selection is more meritorious according to the criteria stated in this policy, than that of an athlete who is selected.

9.2. All appeals must be made in writing and lodged with the QWA Executive Director within three (3) days of the announcement of the selections as described in section 6.1.

9.3. The appeal must be in the form of a written submission to the QWA Management Committee in which the appellant details the grounds for their claim.

9.4. Upon receipt of an appeal, the QWA Selection Committee will provide a written submission to the QWA Management Committee in support of its decision.

9.5. Within seven (7) days of receipt of an appeal, the QWA Management Committee will convene to consider the submissions of the appellant and of the QWA Selection Committee and decide the appeal.

9.6. In the eventuality that the appeal is unsuccessful, the QWA Management Committee will ratify the decision of the Selection Committee by confirming the team/s as nominated.

9.7. In the eventuality of the QWA Management Committee upholding the appeal, the appellant will be deemed to be selected and the QWA Selection Committee will be instructed to nominate which of the previously selected athletes is to be replaced by the successful appellant.

9.8. Any athlete who is replaced due to a successful appeal may lodge their own appeal of this decision. Any such appeal must be made on the grounds that their claim for selection is more meritorious according to the selection criteria stated in this policy than that of the successful appellant and lodged in accordance with this policy.

9.9. The Court of Arbitration for Sport is the ultimate court of appeal. Should any member feel that there has been a breech of the rules of natural justice by the QWA Management Committee in the determination of an appeal, or that there has been an error on a question of law, it is the member’s entitlement to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.