The BF Board has approved the 2017-18 GBR Senior Selection Policy.

The Policy is accompanied by a new GBR Selection Appeals Process and a new GBR Discretionary Selection Form to be used by athletes wishing to set out mitigating or discretionary factors to be considered by Selectors.  

In the absence of a World Class Programme to manage athlete entries, athletes selected for Senior World Cups/Grand Prixes are now required to accept their selection by completing a GBR Senior FIE World Cup & Grand Prix Competition Entry Form prior to BF entering the athlete for that competition. It is the responsibility of the athlete to ensure that the form is completed and received by Head Office within 48 hours of the published selection. Athletes may choose to complete and send in forms in advance of selection.

The main changes to the Senior Selection Policy can be summarised as follows:

• Reduction in discretionary – in Senior World Cups/Grand Prix from top 1/2 in Senior rankings guaranteed to top 10 in Senior rankings (out of 12)
• Reduction in qualifying standards

European Championships

• Previously approx. 1xL16 + 1xL32 or 1 x L 8,
• New: 2xL64 ,

World Championships  

• Previously approx. 2xL16 + 1xL32 or 1xL4
• New: 1xL32
  • New description of discretionary principles for individual and team (previously none listed)

The overall intention is to reduce discretion, encourage more people to compete and allow for the inevitable reduction in standard as our best athletes will be unlikely to continue full time training. The intention is then to slowly increase standards every year, supported by a stronger Sport England funded Talent system and a Senior programme supported by a volunteer structure.

There will be 3 weapon selection panels each chaired by the relevant Weapon Manager (WM) who will take responsibility for Senior World Cup/Grand Prix selection.  Each Panel will also have the relevant Talent Pathway Coach (TPC) on it. The selection panels will be published on the BF website (here for 2017-18).

2 members of each panel (normally the WM & TPC but not mandatory) will sit on the International Senior Management Group, chaired by Clare Halsted. This group will be responsible for overseeing and ratifying the Weapon Selection Panels European and World Championships Selections (and ensuring consistency of application of any discretion across the weapons).