World Selection Committee is the group that selects athletes to compete in certain Olympic events. The committee is made up of experts in the Olympic sports who meet several times a year to discuss and evaluate the athlete’s potential for qualifying for each Olympic event. The selection committee is responsible for ensuring that the highest level of competitors are selected to participate in the Olympics, and that all other competing countries have an equal opportunity to send their best athletes to compete at the Olympics.
The Selection Committee is also tasked with providing feedback on the selection process to ensure that the best athletes are selected in each event. The committee reviews the performance of each of the athletes in their discipline, and determines the top two athletes to advance. If there are multiple athletes who have equal performances, the selection committee will use a ranking system to determine which athletes are eligible for advancement.
When the Selection Committee believes that a particular athlete has met the criteria to compete at a Protected Competition, they will then notify USA Cycling’s Sport Performance staff. If there are more athletes that meet the automatic selection criterion than available quota positions, the Selection Committee may then use discretionary selection to further support the event strategy and goals outlined in the relevant ASP.
In addition to selecting the athletes who will represent Team USA at the Olympics, the Selection Committee is also responsible for identifying the best athletes to support the Olympic and Paralympic teams in training and competitions. These athletes are known as the Olympic Training Squad (OTS). These athletes are provided with a higher level of financial support than those in the National Development Program, and are expected to produce results in line with the OTS performance standards.
Among those athletes eligible for OTS is reigning Olympic all-around champion Simone Biles, who earned her spot in the OTS by finishing fifth in both the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships and the Core Hydration Classic. Other top-tier candidates include 2022 World team silver medallist Jordan Chiles, who recently won the national vault title, and Joscelyn Roberson, who has a strong parallel bar set but struggled to stay consistent on her final pommel horse routine in Boston.
The OTS is a core part of the overall Olympic training and preparation effort and should not be considered as a standalone competition. However, the OTS is a critical component of the selection process to help athletes and their coaches achieve maximum results at the Olympic Games. The OTS is a great way for athletes to demonstrate their ability to perform at the Olympic Games. This is a major milestone in their career and will give them confidence that they can compete at the highest level of competition. It will also provide the Selection Committee with valuable data to consider when making their final selections for the Olympic Games. This will help to build a stronger Team USA at the 2020 and beyond Olympics.