With still over two years to go until the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) in conjunction with scottishathletics and Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) has announced the athletics selection policy and standards required for nomination to Team Scotland. These are in addition to the criteria laid down in the General Selection Policy published in November 2011.

Athletics is the first sport to agree the sport specific standards required for men and women to put themselves in the frame for appearances at Glasgow 2014.

The qualification period opens for the marathon on 1 January 2013 and closes 48 hours after the 2014 London Marathon. In order to meet the criteria for selection, athletes must achieve a single qualifying standard within that period on a course complying with IAAF standards.

The qualification period for all other events opens on 1 April 2013, closing at midnight on 8 June 2014, and athletes must achieve the qualification standard on a minimum of two occasions in officially sanctioned events during that time. The exceptions to this are for multi-events, 10,000m, relays and wheelchair events, where only a single qualifying standard must be achieved in this period.

The maximum number of athletes per event is three. Where more than three athletes attain the qualification standard in an event, then head-to-head results and championship performances (Scottish National level and above) will be considered. All selections will be subject to proof of form and fitness.

Glasgow 2014 will also offer competition opportunities for elite athletes with a disability in the following pre-determined para-sports event categories:
Men Discus F42/44; Men 100m T37; Men 1500m T54
Women F37/38 Long Jump; Women 100m T12; Women 1500m T54

Jon Doig, Chief Executive Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “Following the publication of our General Selection Policy in November last year, we are delighted that we are making good progress with the development of sports specific selection standards for each of the 17 sports on the Games programme. Athletics is the first sport to complete the process and it is fantastic that athletes and coaches with the aspiration and potential to compete in Glasgow 2014 know at the earliest possible time exactly what they must do to make the team.

“Whilst the standards reflect the aim across all sports of athletes finishing in the top eight, based on performances at recent Commonwealth Games, these standards are specific to athletics, including taking into account the specific requirements of events such as the marathon and the short competition window for athletics in the summer of 2014.”

Nigel Holl, Chief Executive scottishathletics said: “The important thing is that we’ve collectively now laid down for athletes the selection policy and standards required ahead of Glasgow 2014 and given people as much time as possible to work towards those times and distances. ‘We have a full summer season ahead and then a winter before the period opens in April 2013 – so that’s good for coaches and athletes. Now that the standards have been agreed, we wish everyone well in seeking to achieve them. The support of CGS and SDS in getting to this point has been excellent”

The scottishathletics National Selectors will make their final nominations to CGS who will review and ratify the team by 11 June 2014. There are also two earlier nomination dates during the selection window, which enable athletes to secure places in the Team earlier (September 2013 and April 2014) and therefore have significant extra time to focus specifically on that event in 2014.

The detailed selection standards for athletics for the 2014 Commonwealth Games are available to download at either www.cgcs.org.uk or www.scottishathletics.org.uk .

The sport specific selection standards for all 17 sports will be published by 15 December 2012.