Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships Selection Policy 2024

• Senior Men and Women over 20 years as at Midnight 31^st December 2024.
• Up to 9 men and 9 women will make up the team.

NOTE THERE WILL BE NO U20 TEAM AS THIS FIXTURE CLASHES WITH THE IRISH SCHOOLS CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Expression of Interest – We require any interested athletes to submit an expression of interest to Mark Kirk by email to mark.kirk@athleticsni.org before midnight on the 1st of February 2024. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WILL BE A CONDITION OF SELECTION. ATHLETES WILL RECEIVE CONFIRMATION BY EMAIL.

A final long list of 15 male and 15 female athletes must be submitted to the organisers by the 5^th of February 2024 If your name is not on that list, you cannot be considered for selection.

Please note that if an athlete competes in a County Championship race or Scottish Inter District race, they will be ineligible to compete for NI at the Intercounties.

Criteria for selection - The first 3 finishers at the NI and Ulster Cross-Country Championships to be held in Carndonagh Co. Donegal on Sunday the 18^th of February will be automatically selected provided that they are included in the long list. For the remaining places recent past performances, and performance history in cross-country events will be taken into consideration. The aim is to select the strongest possible team to represent NI and Ulster at this event. The panel may use their discretion when necessary.

Selection meeting - The selection panel will meet during the week beginning of 19^th of February and the teams will be announced on the Athletics NI website once the final selections have been confirmed.

Selection Panel - Selections will be made by a panel nominated by the Athletics NI Selection Committee and shall be made up as follows:

1. A representative of the Endurance Committee (Voting)
2. The Athletics NI Endurance Coordinator (voting)
3. A representative of Ulster Athletics Council (voting)
4. An Independent Coach (voting)
5. Independent Chair (casting vote)

The chair of the selection panel may direct that assistance is sought (in a non-voting capacity) from anyone else that they feel may be of help. Any voting member of the Selection Panel shall declare any known conflict of interest in respect of any selection issue and shall not be entitled to vote on that issue.

Appeals Process - There shall be no right of appeal to the selection made by the panel.

De-Selection Process - De-selection of an athlete may occur following;

1. Failure to achieve the standard fitness testing protocols
2. Failure to adhere to the Athletics NI athlete code of conduct

In the event that an athlete sustains an injury following acceptance of their position on the team, they are required to inform the ANI Endurance Coordinator immediately.

Confirmation of Team Staff - The team management positions will be appointed as required to support the team and will be confirmed by the Panel following the selection of the athletes.

Clean Sport - All athletes competing at the Intercounties Cross-Country Championships shall be deemed to have made themselves familiar with, and agreed to be bound by, the UKA Anti-Doping Rules and to submit to the authority of UK Anti-Doping in the application and enforcement of the Anti-Doping Rules.

The UKA Anti-Doping Rules apply to entrants participating in the sport of Athletics, for 12 months from the date of the entry to the event, whether or not the athlete is a citizen of, or resident in, the UK.

To check the status of registered medicines, please visit www.globaldro.com. For information on the Clean Athletics programme, testing procedures and for a copy of the full UKA Anti-Doping rules, please visit www.uka.org.uk/cleanathletics. For general Clean Athletics queries, please contact enquiries@cleanathletics.org.

Right to amend - Athletics NI reserves the right to amend this Selection Policy at its sole discretion and will make any amended version publicly available (including the date on which the amendment was made) at www.athleticsni.org.