2013 Snowboarding World Championships

United States Ski & Snowboard Association

2013 World Championships Men's and Women's Snowboard Team Selection Criteria

1.         USSA POLICY

USSA policy mandates that World Championships team selection criteria shall be principally objective (or performance-based), however coaches' discretion will be allowed with no limit and that available start rights and team spots will not necessarily be filled.

2.         TEAM SIZE

The International Ski Federation (FIS) has established that a maximum of thirty six (36) athletes representing any one nation may compete in the 2013 World Championships in snowboarding. Athletes can be named to compete in the following World Championship events: Parallel Giant Slalom, Parallel Slalom, Halfpipe, Slopestyle, Snowboardcross, and Big Air (male only)

3.         START RIGHTS

The maximum quota for a nation in any one event will be four (4). Athletes named to the team according to Section 5 (below) will start in the event from which they qualified. NOTE: The U.S. is allowed forty (44) start slots (four starts in each of 6 events in each gender, with Big Air being male only), but has a maximum team size of thirty six (36) athletes with no more than twenty (20) athletes per gender. The team will be named according to the procedure detailed in Section 5 below.

4.         ELIGIBILITY FOR CONSIDERATION

To be eligible for consideration for selection to the 2013 Snowboard World Championship Team, athletes must meet all of the following criteria:

     -  Be a USSA member in good standing

     -  Hold a valid United States Passport

An athlete shall be ineligible for consideration if he/she is not fit to compete at the time selections are made due to any injury or illness from which he/she is not expected to recover adequately by the time of the World Championships as verified by USSA Medical Staff. Such determination shall be at the discretion of the Snowboard Director after consulting with the USSA Sport Science and coaching staffs, the Head Snowboard Team Physician and the athlete's designated physician.

5.         TEAM SELECTION PROCEDURE AND CRITERIA

The coaching staff is responsible for applying the selection criteria set forth herein, subject to the approval of the President and CEO of USSA. Objective selections shall be based on the following:

A.        Objective Criteria.

ALPINE  (Parallel Giant Slalom, Parallel Slalom)

1. Athletes 1 and 2.  Highest ranking athletes, per gender, from the Parallel World Cup ranking list valid on January 15, 2013. Must be ranked in the top thirty-two (32) for men and top sixteen (16) for women to be eligible

2. Athletes 3 and 4. Highest ranking athletes (not already qualified from above criteria) per gender, from the most current Parallel FIS points list valid on January 15, 2013.  Must be ranked in the top fifty (50) to be eligible

SNOWBOARDCROSS (SBX)

1. Athletes 1 and 2.  Highest ranking athletes, per gender, from 8th SBX FIS points list published in May 2012.

 2. Athlete 3.  Athlete, per gender, with the highest total SBX World Cup points scored from the December 2012 Montafon, AUT and Telluride, USA FIS World Cups. USSA will use the following tie-breaking mechanism in priority order:

Best Result (based on World Cup points assigned to finish)

Next Best Result (based on World Cup points assigned to finish)

Highest ranked athlete on the most current SBX FIS points list.

HALFPIPE

Athlete 1 Highest ranking athlete, per gender, from the selection event listed below will be nominated

December 14-15, 2012           Breckenridge Dew Tour Halfpipe competition

If an athlete declines the nomination the position will be allocated using Coaches discretion. 

Athletes 2 and 3 Highest ranking athletes, per gender, not already nominated above in Athlete 1 criteria, from the Halfpipe TTR Global Ranking List as of December 20, 2012.  

Athletes will be invited to fill positions 1 and 2 based on their ranking. If an athlete declines the nomination then the next athlete will be asked to fill the position down through the 6th ranked athlete on the ranking list until athletes 2 and 3 are selected. If positions are still open after the 6th ranked athlete has been invited then any remaining positions from athlete 2 and 3 would be allocated using Coaches discretion.

SLOPESTYLE

Athletes 1 and 2 Highest ranking athletes, per gender, from the Slopestyle TTR Global Ranking List as of June 6, 2012. 

Athletes will be invited to fill positions 1 and 2 based on their ranking. If an athlete declines the nomination then the next athlete will be asked to fill the position down through the 6th ranked athlete on the ranking list until athletes 1 and 2 are selected. If positions are still open after the 6th ranked athlete has been invited then any remaining positions from athlete 1 and 2 would be allocated using Coaches discretion.

Athlete 3 Highest ranking athletes, per gender, not already nominated above in Athlete 1 and 2 criteria, from the Slopestyle TTR Global Ranking List as of December 20, 2012. 

Athlete will be invited to fill positions 3 based on their ranking. If an athlete declines the nomination then the next athlete will be asked to fill the position down through the 6th ranked athlete on the ranking list until athletes 3 are selected. If positions are still open after the 6th ranked athlete has been invited then athlete 3 would be allocated using Coaches discretion.

BIG AIR (men only)

Athletes 1 and 2 Highest ranking athletes, per gender, from the Big Air TTR Global Ranking List as of June 6, 2012. 

Athletes will be invited to fill positions 1 and 2 based on their ranking. If an athlete declines the nomination then the next athlete will be asked to fill the position down through the 6th ranked athlete on the ranking list until athletes 1 and 2 are selected. If positions are still open after the 6th ranked athlete has been invited then any remaining positions from athlete 1 and 2 would be allocated using Coaches discretion.

Athlete 3 Highest ranking athletes, per gender, not already nominated above in Athlete 1 and 2 criteria, from the Big Air TTR Global Ranking List as of December 20, 2012. 

Athlete will be invited to fill positions 3 based on their ranking. If an athlete declines the nomination then the next athlete will be asked to fill the position down through the 6th ranked athlete on the ranking list until athletes 3 are selected. If positions are still open after the 6th ranked athlete has been invited then athlete 3 would be allocated using Coaches discretion.

B.        Coaches Discretion

4.  Potential selection of a 4^th Athlete in Halfpipe, Slopestyle, SBX and Big Air (men only):  This determination will be made by the USSA coaching staff.  The coaching staff may consider which events provide the best chance of winning World Championship medals. In making this selection, the coaching staff may consider any factors including, but not limited to, the following:

A.         Outstanding competition results (including any results from the 20011 and 2012 seasons) including proven ability to win in international competition such as Olympic Winter Games, FIS World Cup or World Championships, X-Games and U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix. 

B.         Recent direction or trend of competition results (i.e., improving, flat or declining).

C.        Attitude and commitment of the athletes.      

D.        Physical fitness level.

E.         Illness or injury during the selection period.   

F.         Indication of medal potential in future Olympic or World Championship competitions that would be materially enhanced by selection to the team.   

G.        Other unanticipated failure of objective criteria to select an athlete likely to achieve competition results consistent with the USSA program goals for the World Championships.

6.         ANNOUNCEMENT OF SELECTIONS

Selections to the 2013 World Championships team shall be announced at a time to be determined at the offices of USSA in Park City, Utah, and shall be published immediately upon announcement.

7.         MANDATORY TRAINING

Following the selection of the 2013 World Championships team mandatory training camps may be organized in preparation for the World Championships. Dates, locations and organization of these camps will be announced prior to the final selection of the team.

8.         ATHLETE REPLACEMENT PRODEDURE

In the case that an athlete that has been selected to the team becomes injured or ill prior the World Championships and is unable to compete, no replacement athlete will be named unless it is deemed that there is sufficient time to make a replacement without disrupting the competition or preparation of other athletes and that the additional athlete would have sufficient time to properly prepare for the competition. This decision will be made by the Snowboard Director for USSA after consulting with the President and CEO of USSA, Head World Championship Coach, and USSA Sport Science Department. Should an additional athlete be considered, the procedures as outlined in Section 5.B. above will be followed to select that athlete. No athletes will be named to the team following the conclusion of mandatory training or within five days of the start of the World Championships.