POSTED: Tuesday May 29th 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The British Olympic Association Olympic Qualification Standards (OQS) Panel met today to consider athlete nominations for Team GB in the sports of judo, taekwondo and wrestling.
The OQS Panel routinely reviews all athlete nominations brought forward in those sports that have been granted Host Nation Qualification Places for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
In determining whether or not to grant Host Nation Qualification Places, the OQS Panel considers two key criteria:
• The ability for a sport/National Governing Body to deliver a credible performance at the London 2012 Olympic Games. National Governing Bodies propose to the BOA the specific performance standards that must be met in order to satisfy this requirement.
• The plan that has been developed by the sport/National Governing Body to deliver a meaningful post-Games legacy and increase participation in the sport as a result of the opportunity to compete in a Home Games.
The OQS Panel also seeks to ensure that the process of selecting athletes for Team GB is conducted in a manner that is fair and in accordance with the approved selection procedures.
The OQS Panel is comprised of Team GB Chef de Mission Andy Hunt; Team GB Deputy Chefs de Mission Clive Woodward and Mark England; and British Olympic Association Athletes Commission Chair Sarah Winckless.
With respect to judo, the OQS Panel accepted all 14 nominations submitted by British Judo, and a formal announcement of Team GB - Judo will be made in mid-June.
With respect to taekwondo, the OQS Panel took the following action:
The OQS Panel formally accepted the athlete nominations submitted by British Taekwondo in the Women’s Under-57 kg and Under-67 kg weight categories, and in the Men’s Under-68 kg weight category
With respect to the nomination in the Men’s Under-80 kg weight category, the OQS Panel is requesting a meeting at the earliest possible opportunity with the British Taekwondo Selection Committee to seek further information and clarification about:
• the process by which the athletes were evaluated by the British Taekwondo Selection Committee
• the head-kick scoring regulations in international taekwondo and their bearing on selection; the OQS Panel will also be seeking information from the World Taekwondo Federation on this point
Once the OQS Panel has had an opportunity to ask further questions of and receive additional information from the British Taekwondo Selection Committee, it will be in a position to act upon the nomination.
With respect to wrestling, the OQS Panel concluded that British Wrestling had not met the performance standard it had proposed, and agreed, with the BOA in 2011:
• Top sixteen position at the 2011 FILA World Championships, or
• Top eight position at the 2012 European Championships or the 2012 European Olympic Qualifying Tournament, or
• Top six position at a 2012 International Olympic Qualification Tournament
In light of this, the OQS Panel determined that it would award only one Host Nation Qualification Place, rather than the three that had been requested by British Wrestling, and that place will be in the Women’s Under-55 kg weight category.
The OQS Panel also determined that more work needs to be done in order to ensure a meaningful post-Games legacy for wrestling, including much greater emphasis on increasing participation at the grass-roots level in the UK and a clear performance plan to qualify athletes by right for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Team GB Chef de Mission Andy Hunt said:
“The OQS Panel takes very seriously the responsibility of making certain that in those sports where Host Nation Qualification Places will be utilised, the athletes competing for Team GB will be in a position to deliver a credible performance on the field of play. There is a standard across Team GB that must be upheld. Equally, it is essential that those sports are fully prepared to make the most of the unprecedented opportunity of competing in a Home Games and deliver a meaningful participation legacy.
Through the review process, the Panel also seeks to make certain athlete selection is conducted in a manner that is impartial and consistent with the approved procedures.”
For more information, please contact the BOA Communications Director Darryl Seibel on 07553 355159.
Name: British Olympic Association Communications Team
Organization: British Olympic Association
Email:
Phone: 442078425700
URL: http://www.olympics.org.uk