Selection Procedures

updated as of: 05/01/09

Transitional Selection Procedures (2009 only)

Philosophy – These selection procedures are designed to enable athletes to select themselves for individual events to assemble a team that can achieve the best possible results at the World Championships.

Selection Criteria

The following criteria will be used to select athletes for the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Athletics (“World Championships”) in individual events:

1. The athlete's rank order of place finish in an event at the 2009 US Outdoor Track & Field Championships (the “Trials”).
2. Whether athletes have achieved the applicable IAAF standard per the entry criteria below.

USATF may, in its discretion, enter up to four (4) competitors in each individual event in the World Championships. Up to three (3) athletes in each event will be allowed to travel and compete with the Team to the World Championships subject to the following criteria:

• Automatic Qualification:
  1. The top three (3) rank order finishers in each event at the Trials will automatically select themselves to the USATF team for the World Championships (the “Team”), provided that each has achieved the applicable IAAF “A” Standard and meets all other qualifications. The next ranked order finisher shall serve as the alternate, provided that he or she has achieved at least the applicable IAAF “B” Standard.
  2. A reigning World Champion who competes at the Trials receives an automatic bye into the World Championships for the event in which he or she is reigning World Champion whether or not he or she has achieved the corresponding entry standard. These athletes are not required to compete in the same event in which they are reigning World Champions at the Trials in order to receive the bye. In events in which a USATF athlete is the reigning World Champion, USATF may, in its discretion, and subject to the applicable rules and regulations (including these Selection Procedures), enter up to four (4) additional athletes in the World Championships, including up to three (3) additional athletes who will be allowed to travel and compete with the Team at the World Championships.
• Other Qualification:
  1. If each of the top four (4) rank order finishers has not achieved the IAAF “A” standard, each athlete among the top four (4) finishers who has not achieved the “A” standard will have until midnight PDT on July 31, 2009 to achieve the “A” standard. Results information must be received by USATF by said deadline at the following e-mail address: sandy.snow@usatf.org
  2. If after July 31, 2009 any of the top four (4) rank order finishers have not achieved the “A” standard, USATF may, in its discretion, enter one (1) athlete who has not achieved the “A” standard, provided that said athlete has achieved the “B” standard in that event during the pertinent period.
  3. Subject to the foregoing criteria, USATF will enter no more than two (2) athletes who have not achieved the IAAF “A” standard in an event, provided that said athletes must have achieved the “B” standard in that event during the pertinent period. Only one (1) athlete will be allowed to travel and compete with the team and provided further that an additional “B” standard finisher may serve as an alternate.
  4. Subject to the reigning World Champion exemption, if no athletes achieve at least the IAAF “B” standard in a given event during the pertinent time period, USATF will enter no athletes in that event.
  5. In each event, the rank order of the finish at the Trials shall determine whether an athlete competes or is designated an alternate at the World Championships.

Relays

Up to six (6) athletes may be entered as members of each relay pool. The athletes (including the alternate) entered in the respective individual events (100m and 400m) must be included in the pool. An athlete must compete in the Trials in order to be eligible for the relay pool, except in emergency situations where a waiver based on medical or exceptional circumstances may be given by USATF, in its discretion.

Area Champions

The Area Champion from the 2007 NACAC Senior Championships (in each individual event to be contested at the World Championships except the Marathon and the relays) will be recognized as having achieved the “A” standard irrespective of whether his or her performance has reached the ”A” or “B” standard. An Area Champion, however, will not receive an automatic bye for the World Championships. Area Champions must meet all other criteria in the USATF selection procedures to be eligible for the team, including with respect to criteria related to rank order of finish at the Trials.

The Area Champion shall be the athlete who has achieved the title within the qualification period stipulated for the World Championships or at the Area Championships held closest to the start of the World Championships. The 2007 NACAC Senior Championships is the area championships held closest to the start of the World Championships in which USATF participated thus will be used for this guideline.

Other Requirements

• Citizenship – To be a member of or alternate for the Team, an athlete must (1) be eligible to represent USATF at all levels of international competition and (2) be a U.S. citizen on July 31, 2009.
• In addition, athletes must hold a valid U.S. Passport on July 31, 2009 that is valid until at least September 30, 2009.
• To be a member of or alternate for the Team, an athlete must achieve the applicable IAAF qualifying standards in a USATF, IAAF, Collegiate or High School competition organized and listed on the pertinent sanctioning organization’s published calendar of events. The competition must be determined to be valid by USATF.
  
• In order to be eligible to be a member of the Team, an athlete must be a USA Track & Field member in good standing at the time of the Trials and for the duration of the World Championships.