2020 World Athletics World Race Walking Team Championships Athlete Selection Procedures

The 2020 World Athletics World Race Walking Team Championships will be held May 2-3, 2020 in Minsk, Belarus. Team sizes, Eligibility Criteria and Selection Procedures are as follows:
 
Selection Events 
Selection to the USA Team for the 2020 World Athletics World Race Walking Team Championships (hereinafter called the Championships) will be based on the rank order of finish at the relevant selection event (hereinafter called the Selection Event), which are as follows:
 

• Men’s 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials 50km Race Walk and Women’s 50 km - 2020 USATF 50 km Race Walk Championships, both held on January 25, 2020 in Santee, California.
• Senior Men’s and Women’s 20km – 2020 World Team Race Walk Championship Trials, held on March 29, 2020 in Whiting, New Jersey.
• Under 20 Men’s and Women’s 10 km – 2020 World Team Race Walk Championship Trials, held on March 29, 2020 in Whiting, New Jersey.

Events Being Contested

Senior Women’s 50 km:	4 athletes
Senior Men’s 50 km:	4 athletes
Senior Women’s 20 km:	4 athletes
Senior Men’s 20 km:	4 athletes
Under 20 Women’s 10 km:	3 athletes
Under 20 Men’s 10 km:	3 athletes

 
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible to be a member of the 2020 World Athletics World Race Walking Team Championships Team (the “Team”), an athlete must:

• Be a citizen of the United States and, under USATF and World Athletics rules, be eligible to represent the USA at all levels of international competition.
• Be a USA Track & Field member at the time of the selection through the end of the 2020 World Athletics World Race Walking Team Championships.
• Possess a valid passport that does not expire within six (6) months of the event (and must present passport at team processing when applicable).
• Sign a USATF Athlete Statement of Conditions for participation, if nominated for the Team.
• Be under the age of 20, but at least 16 years of age on December 31, 2020 (born in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004) if competing as an Under 20 athlete on the Team.
  • Note: athletes aged 18 or 19 years of age on December 31, 2020 (born in 2002 or 2001) may compete in the Senior 20 km race or the U20 race (NOT in the Senior 50 km race).

 
The following procedures will be used to select All athletes:

1. In the Senior walks (20km and 50km) the top three athletes according to their place of finish in the relevant Selection Event will select themselves to the 2020 World Athletics World Race Walking Team Championships Team. A fourth team member may be named provided they have walked the team selection standard within the qualifying window.
2. In the Under 20 walks (10km) the top two athletes will select themselves according to their place of finish in the relevant Selection Event to the 2020 World Athletics World Race Walking Team Championships Team A third team member may be named provided they have walked the team selection standard within the qualifying window.
3. Athletes must commit to a position on the Team by 11:59pm Eastern on March 29, 2020, by completing team processing paper work including a signed USATF Athlete Statement of Conditions or they will forfeit their place on the Team.
4. In each event, if an athlete declines a position on the Team (or fails to commit as per #2 above), USATF will offer that position to the next finisher in the relevant distance at the Selection Event who meets all criteria. This process will continue until the team is filled. An athlete declining a position must submit a signed decline form.
5. If an athlete has met the criteria to compete in more than one distance, then the athlete is additionally required to declare the distance at which they choose to compete in The 2020 World Athletics World Race Walk Team Championships. Up to, but no later than 11:59pm on Sunday, March 29, 2020.  If an athlete does not indicate a preferred distance, then the longer distance will be assumed to be the preferred distance.
6. Athletes named to the team are required to maintain fitness and prepare properly for the Championships’ travel and competition. An athlete is required to report any situation that may affect the athlete’s ability to travel and compete to the team’s head coach in a timely fashion.
7. If any athlete withdraws from a team after being named to it, but before 11:59pm Eastern on March 29, 2020, USATF shall use the procedures outlined in the steps above to name a replacement athlete. If an athlete withdraws after 11:59pm Eastern on March 29, 2020, no replacement shall be named.
8. Alternates: Alternates will select themselves following the above procedures and be named to the team if a drop-out occurs prior to a final date as mentioned in #7.
9. Alteration: USATF reserves the right, based on consultation with the USOC and the State Department, to alter the conditions of travel for this team trip or to cancel the trip if conditions in the host country warrant.

 
Removal of Athletes
An athlete who is to be nominated to the team by USATF may be removed as a nominee for any of the following reasons, as determined by USATF:

1. Voluntary withdrawal.  Athlete must submit a written letter via e-mail to Kimberly Sims, Associate Director of International Teams at Kimberly.Sims@usatf.org.
2. Injury or illness as certified by a physician (or medical staff) approved by USATF.  If an athlete refuses verification of his/her illness or injury by a physician (or medical staff) approved by USATF, his/her injury will be assumed to be disabling and he/she may be removed.
3. Violation of USATF’s Athlete Statement of Conditions.
4. Involuntary Withdrawal. An Athlete who is named to the team by virtue of an error or oversight (by USATF) may be removed from the team at any time.