ADP APPROACH TO SELECTION FOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION AND MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

The framework below is to help guide and manage the expectations of fencers, parents and coaches in relation to selection for the international competition season 2022-23 at Cadet, Junior, U23 and Senior level.

One ADP ambition since 2018 has been to maximise the opportunities for fencer to experience international competition, linked to the approach of increasing “Time on Task” and “Appropriate Competition”.  Simply put, this is more time in competitive sparring and fencing competition.  Appropriate competition relates to the level of competition standard that ideally provides a level of challenge that increases the developmental rate of the fencers involved.

Lead by this ambition the framework for international competitions and the major championships 2022-23 is as follows.

Cadets
For the first 3 EFC events, 20 fencers will be selected for the individual and up to 4 teams if permitted by the organisers. Following a review of the performance standards of these events, the numbers selected may be reduced to 15 fencers and 3 teams for the remaining EFC events.

Cadet fencers will be encouraged when developing their competition plans to consider other opportunities to gain international experiences such as non-nominated events and overseas domestic competitions. Events such as the Marathon-Fleuret in Paris.

Juniors
For Junior World Cups the top 8 fencers in the ranking will be selected and another 4 places may be offered as a discretionary place to make up a maximum squad size of 12.

Junior fencers when developing their competition plans should consider senior opens, U23 events and FIE satellite competition circuit events

NB: it should be noted that certain competitions will require GBR Referees and availability may impact on the squad sizes.

U23s (EFC U23 circuit events)
There is usually no defined entry limit, so fencers meeting the GBR eligibility criteria (found in the GBR Selection Policy) will be able to attend using the appropriate web form request. (Note that EFC U23 ranking events are Senior Open events nominated for U23 EFC ranking points. You do not have to be U23 to enter the event.)

FIE Satelite Events (Senior events)
There is usually no defined entry limit, so fencers meeting the GBR eligibility criteria (found in the GBR Selection Policy) will be able to attend using the appropriate web form request.

Major Championships

Europeans – Cadets (Individual and Team Event) Full Squad

Europeans – Juniors (Individual and Team Event) Full Squad

Europeans – U23s (Individual and Team Event) Full Squad

Europeans – Seniors (Individual and Team Event) – The Senior European Championships is taking place as part of the European Games, a multi-sport event with athletes selected and entered through National Olympic Committees (eg the BOA). GBR Athletes will be nominated by BF to the BOA for selection based on meeting a qualification standard agreed with the BOA. If sufficient fencers meet the qualification standards or as part of the BF Weapon Strategy a team may also be nominated.

It is expected that fewer athletes will be selected for European Games than for previous European Championships. Therefore we anticipate using the World Championships as the opportunity to select a larger squad/greater number of teams.

Like the Olympic Games, the European Games is a very different environment from the typical FIE European and World Championships with much of the operational support and delivery for the multi-sport GBR squad falling under the BOA.

Aside from the Team Leader, Fencing has been provisionally allocated 3 coach accreditations, therefore the support team will not include personal coaches. Other support services (eg Physio) will be provisioned by the BOA.

When further information is available.  BF will run a zoom session to help athletes understand more about what they can expect in relation to preparation and participation in this multi-sport event.

Worlds – Cadet (Individual Event Only) Only fencers meeting the qualification standard will be eligible for selection.

Worlds – Junior (Individual and Team Event) Squads will be selected based on the number of fencers meeting the qualifications standards. For teams to be considered 2 fencers within the weapon must make the qualifications standard and be available to fence.

Worlds – Seniors (Individual and Team Event) In light of the expected reduced opportunities for teams because of the European Games 2023, there will be an ambition to select full squads for the 2023 Worlds (Milan). This means that where a weapon has two athletes qualified and available to fence, a team will be considered for selection.

World University Games 2023 This event is under risk assessment and a viability review due to location, cost and lack of information.

Steve Kemp, Pathway Director stated. “We have started to see the potential within the fencers at the five major championships in 2022. It is now important to sustain and build on this potential with a need to increase the level of detail we operate. Having accurate clarity of where fencers are in the performance pathway means more accurate development and performance decisions are made alongside a healthy level of challenge to demonstrate improvement. This will place more expectations on fencers and coaches (with the support of ADP staff) to regularly review performances and update individual performance plans and data accordingly to drive improvement through the season. We will be publishing significantly more data online (sourced from existing publicly available results data) to support athletes and coaches in these conversations”.

Disclaimer – This news post is not the GBR Selection Document and is not intended as a replacement for that document. Athletes who wish to represent Great Britain, along with their coaches and parents are expected to read the Selection Document rather than rely on summaries and news post contents. No selection appeals will be permitted based on the contents/interpretation of this news post.

If you have any questions relating to this post, please submit them to us via the form here and a member of the ADP team will come back to you.

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