2013 Athlete Criteria and Tier System

In conjunction with the USATF Athletes’ Advisory Committee, the Tier System was instituted in 2011 and 2012, with consistent criteria to ensure the participation of the highest potential open athletes and their coaches in all Olympic event-related USATF and USOC high performance and athlete support programs.

Applicable events are those on the Olympic Games program and events approved by AAC and the High Performance staff as supporting development of Olympic and IAAF World Championships in Athletics' participants.  Athletes who qualify for the various tiers will have primary access to HP Programs such as: domestic competitive opportunities, domestic relay program, international competitive opportunities, sport performance workshops, medical reimbursement, stipends, elite athlete health insurance, DISC, St. Vincent’s medical program, and coaches’ stipends.

Tier 1: Athletes qualify for all USATF and USOC benefits and are those athletes who have achieved any of the following:

  • Medaled in either of the two (2) most recent world-major championships (i.e. World Championships in Athletics [Track & Field] in 2011 and Olympic Games in 2012); or
  • Have achieved a top-10 world rank in 2012 by Track & Field News (year-end ranking for 2012) or All-Athletics.com (year-end ranking for 2012); or
  • Have achieved a top-5 world rank in 2011 by Track & Field News (year-end ranking for 2011) or All-Athletics.com (year-end ranking for 2011); or
  • The above criteria apply to athletes who competed in the first round and/or final on a relay team.

Tier 2: Athletes qualify for the majority of USATF and USOC benefits, albeit sometimes at a lower dollar amount, and they must have achieved any of the following:

  • Placed among the top 8 in either of the two (2) most recent major championships (i.e. World Championships in Athletics [Track & Field] in 2011 or Olympic Games in 2012); or
  • Have achieved a top 20 world rank in 2012 by All-Athletics.com (year-end ranking for 2012); or
  • Have achieved a sixth through tenth world rank in 2011 by Track & Field News (year-end ranking for 2011) or All-Athletics.com (year-end ranking for 2011).

Tier 3: Athletes qualify for a limited number of benefits.  However, as Immediate Post Collegians (IPC’s), they have exclusive access to the Post Collegiate Scholarship Fund.  Further, there are also many IPC’s who, based on their ranking and performance profile, qualify for and are entitled to the benefits of Tier 1 or Tier 2 programs.  Athletes in this category must have achieved the following:

  • Be an Immediate Post Collegian (IPC) in the first or second year out of college (2011 or 2012) and
  • Have achieved the 2012 Olympic Games "A" standard in 2012 or the 2011 World Championships “A” standard in 2011 for their respective event.

Tier 4: Athletes qualify for a limited number of benefits, albeit sometimes at a lower dollar amount, and they must have achieved the following:

  • Be ranked among the Top 2 U.S. by Track & Field News in its 2012 year-end rankings, or
  • Achieved a Top 2 place finish at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field, 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s 50km Race Walk, or 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s or Women’s Marathon.
  • For both categories above, the athlete must have also achieved a minimum of the 2012 Olympic Games “B” standard.

To receive any or all 2013 tier benefits, an athlete must currently be training and competing at elite level or, if injured, expected to recover and be able to compete at an elite level.

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