Making the cut: Team USA's Olympic criteria

The eyes of the world will be on Vancouver this February for the Olympic Winter Games. But ski and snowboarding athletes who hope to be Vancouver Bound already began scrapping and fighting their way to Olympic Team spots beginning in September. The final Olympic ski and snowboarding teams will be named in January, as close as possible to the Olympics.

Olympic selection events kicked off with the Sept. 12 FIS Snowboard World Cup snowboardcross opener in Chapelco, Argentina where Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, ME) was second and Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID) was third. Major U.S. selection events will include alpine World Cups in Aspen and Beaver Creek, CO, freestyle World Cups at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, UT and Lake Placid, NY, snowboarding World Cup in Telluride, CO, plus the U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix in Copper Mountain, CO, Mammoth Mountain, CA and Park City. Freestyle and nordic combined will also pick a single team member with the winner of an Olympic Trials event in Steamboat Springs, CO Dec. 23-24.

In general, qualifying for Olympic ski and snowboarding teams is based on existing international competitions that take place throughout the entire season. According to USSA Vice President, Athletics Luke Bodensteiner, nominating the best athletes from a series of events provides the most accurate opportunity to select the athletes who are at the top of their sport and have the greatest chance of winning medals.

“Our goal as an organization is to win medals in Vancouver,” said Bodensteiner. “The selection criteria speaks to that. We have some great opportunities and we want to be sure that we have the best athletes on our Teams who have proven they can be contenders through their international performance against the best in the world.”

The competition for Olympic spots on some Teams will be especially intense. For example, the USA has a half-dozen men’s snowboardcross athletes who have been on World Cup podiums but only four can be named to the Team. Similar situations exist in men’s and women’s moguls.

Athletes in all sports are also competing internationally to earn quota spots for the USA. Each nation is allocated a maximum start quota by gender based on international rankings over a two-season period leading up to the Games. Optimizing that quota is an important part of the selection process. Athletes in each sport must also have achieved a specified ranking or point standing in order to compete.

A complete summary of the Olympic selection process, including details of eligibility, pre-qualification, selection events and process, tiebreaking procedures and grievance process is available on the USSA Web site at:
https://www.ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/ussa/en/special/olympic-criteria.html

ALPINE SKIING
Olympic alpine athletes will be selected primarily from individual race finishes on the 2009-10 Audi FIS Alpine World Cup. The top two athletes, by selection criteria, have a guaranteed start right in that respective event. Athletes must be ranked in the top 500 in the world on the FIS Points List to be eligible. In addition, athletes in speed events must have a maximum of 120 FIS points.

Selection Period: Oct. 23, 2009 – Jan. 25, 2010
Team Size: Maximum of 22 (max. 14 per gender)
Team Nomination: January 25, 2010
Event Quota: Up to four U.S. athletes per event
Top Criteria:
1. One or more top three World Cup finishes
2. One or more top 10 World Cup finishes
3. Total Audi FIS Alpine World Cup points in an event

Click here for complete details of alpine selection criteria.
https://www.ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/dms/documents/2008-09/10-OWG-SKI-ATH-Alpine-FINAL/10%20OWG%20SKI%20ATH%20Alpine%20FINAL.PDF

CROSS COUNTRY SKIING
Olympic cross country athletes will be selected first from current season standings on the 2009-10 FIS Cross Country World Cup. Additional athletes will next be named by discretion of the head cross country coach. Any additional spots will be filled through use of the USSA National Ranking List, which includes a variety of domestic and international events during a period from Jan. 12, 2009-Jan. 8, 2010. Athletes must also have a maximum of 100 FIS points (120 for sprint) to be eligible.

Selection Period: Jan. 12, 2009 – Jan. 8, 2010
Team Size: Maximum 12 per gender
Team Nomination: January 19, 2010
Event Quota: Up to four U.S. athletes per event
Top Criteria:
1. Top 50 in World Cup overall, top 30 in distance or sprint as of Dec. 22, 2009
2. If spots remain, discretion of head cross country coach
3. If spots remain, standings of USSA National Ranking List on including events that run to Jan. 8, 2010

Click here for complete details of cross country selection criteria.
https://www.ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/dms/athletics/alpine/docs/Cross-Country-criteria-6-29-09/Cross%20Country%20criteria%206-29-09.pdf

FREESTYLE SKIING
Olympic freestyle athletes will be selected primarily from finishes on the 2009-10 FIS Freestyle World Cup plus winner of Olympic Trials events in moguls and aerials in Steamboat Springs, CO Dec. 23-24. Athletes must have placed in the top 30 in a World Cup or World Championships and have a minimum of 100 FIS points.

Selection Period: July 1, 2009-Jan. 25, 2010
Team Size: Maximum of 18
Team Nomination: Jan. 26, 2010
Event Quota: Up to four U.S. athletes per event
Top Criteria:
1. Winner of moguls and aerials events at Olympic Trials
2. One top three World Cup finish
3. Two top five World Cup finishes

Click here for complete details of freestyle selection criteria.
https://www.ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/dms/athletics/alpine/docs/10-OWG-SKI-ATH-Freestyle-FINAL/10%20OWG%20SKI%20ATH%20Freestyle%20FINAL.PDF

NORDIC COMBINED
Olympic nordic combined athletes will be selected primarily from ranking in the top 30 of the FIS World Ranking List which includes finishes on the 2009-10 FIS Nordic Combined World Cup and Continental Cup, along with a single wild card selection from an Olympic Trials event Steamboat Springs, CO Dec. 23. Athletes must have scored World Cup or Continental Cup points between Dec. 1, 2008 and Jan. 18, 2010 to be eligible.

Selection Period: Nov. 1, 2009-Jan. 18, 2010
Team Size: Up to five
Team Nomination: Jan. 19, 2010
Event Quota: Up to four U.S. athletes per event
Top Criteria:
1. Winner of Olympic Trials event
2. Ranking in top 30 in FIS World Ranking List on Jan. 18
3. If spots remain, then discretionary selection of coach

Click here for complete details of nordic combined selection criteria.
https://www.ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/dms/athletics/alpine/docs/10-OWG-SKI-ATH-Nordic-Combined-FINAL/10%20OWG%20SKI%20ATH%20Nordic%20Combined%20FINAL.PDF

SKI JUMPING
Athletes will be selected first from current season standings on the 2009-10 season FIS Ski Jumping World Cup. Additional athletes will next be named by discretion of the USSA nordic director. Any additional spots will be filled through use of the FIS Continental Cup. Athletes must have achieved at least one FIS point in World Cup, Grand Prix or Continental Cup between July 1, 2008 and Jan. 25, 2010 to be eligible.

Selection Period: Jan. 12, 2009 – Jan. 7, 2010
Team Size: Maximum of five
Team Nomination: January 19, 2010
Event Quota: Up to four U.S. athletes per event
Top Criteria:
1. FIS World Cup standings as of Jan. 11, 2010
2. If spots remain, discretion of USSA nordic director
3. If spots remain, ranking on FIS Continental Cup as of Jan. 11, 2010

Click here for complete details of ski jumping selection criteria.
https://www.ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/dms/documents/2008-09/10-OWG-SKI-ATH-Jumping-Amendment-11-25-08/10%20OWG%20SKI%20ATH%20Jumping%20Amendment%2011-25-08.pdf

SNOWBOARDING
Snowboarding has specific criteria for each of its three events, halfpipe, parallel giant slalom
(PGS) and snowboardcross (SBX). Snowboarding’s nation’s quota (how many can be entered in an event) must be earned so team size will vary based on results of U.S. athletes on the FIS Snowboard World Cup. Athletes must also achieve a minimum FIS qualifying criteria of at least one top 30 finish in a FIS World Cup or World Championship between July, 2008 and Jan. 25, 2010, and have at least 100 FIS points at the time of nomination in the respective event. Athletes must be pre-qualified to enter selection events. The snowboading selection process contains many additional important details and dates that can be found in the official criteria document.
https://www.ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/dms/documents/2008-09/Snowboard-Criteria/Snowboard%20Criteria.pdf

Overall
Selection Period: Sept. 1, 2009-Jan. 25, 2010 (see each event for list of tryouts)
Team Size: Maximum of 18 (max. 10 per gender); actual team size determined through nation’s results on FIS Snowboard World Cup from Jan. 18, 2009-Jan. 18, 2010.
Team Nomination:  Jan. 25, 2010
Event Quota: Up to four U.S. athletes per event

Halfpipe
Up to three men and three women will be selected from individual results in five selection events as part of the 2009-20 U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix. Athletes must be pre-qualified to enter (see selection criteria document for details). Additional athletes will be named based on medal potential if overall Team quota spots are available. Scheduled dates are as follow:

Dec. 12, 2009 – Copper Mountain, CO (1 event)
Jan. 6, 9, 2010 – Mammoth Mountain, CA (2 events)
Jan. 22-23, 2010 – Park City, UT (2 events)

Top Criteria:
1. Up to three athletes per gender who have had a top-four finish against the full competition field (including non-USSA athletes) in selection events.
2. If no athletes selected by criteria point 1, one athlete per gender will be selected using the average of top two results in selection events (FIS 1,000 point system applied to only eligible USSA athletes)
3. If spots remain, discretion of head snowboarding coach

Parallel Giant Slalom
Up to two men and two women will be selected from individual results in four selection events as part of the 2009-20 FIS Snowboard World Cup. Athletes must be pre-qualified to enter (see selection criteria document for details). Additional athletes will be named based on medal potential if overall Team quota spots are available. Scheduled dates are as follow:

Dec. 6, 2009 – Limone Piemonte, Italy
Dec. 17, 2009 – Telluride, CO
Jan. 6, 2010 – Kreischberg, Austria
Jan. 17, 2010 – Nendaz, Switzerland
Jan. 24, 2010 – Stoneham, QUE

Top Criteria:
1. Up to two athletes per gender who have had a top-four finish against the full competition field (including non-USSA athletes) in selection events.
2. If no athletes selected by criteria point 1, one athlete per gender will be selected using the average of top two results in selection events (FIS 1,000 point system applied to only eligible USSA athletes)
3. If spots remain, discretion of head snowboarding coach

Snowboardcross
Up to two men and two women will be selected from individual results in five selection events as part of the 2009-20 FIS Snowboard World Cup. Additional athletes will be named based on medal potential if overall Team quota spots are available. Athletes must be pre-qualified to enter (see selection criteria document for details). Scheduled dates are as follow:

Sept. 12, 2009 – Chapelco, Argentina
Dec. 19, 2009 – Telluride, Colorado
Jan. 10, 2010 – Bad Gastein, Austria
Jan. 15, 2010 – Nandaz, Switzerland
Jan. 21, 2010 – Stoneham, Quebec

Top Criteria:
1. Up to two athletes per gender who have had a top-four finish against the full competition field (including non-USSA athletes) in selection events.
2. If no athletes selected by criteria point 1, one athlete per gender will be selected using the average of top two results in selection events (FIS 1,000 point system applied to only eligible USSA athletes)
3. If spots remain, discretion of head snowboarding coach

SPECIAL NOTES
Maximum event quotas must be earned by teams in each sport during selection period. Maximum team size within a sport with multiple events may impact use of maximum quote in some events. All athletes must also be U.S. citizens, members in good standing of the USSA and holding a valid FIS license at the time of nomination. The USSA presents its list of nominees to the USOC, which will announce the official Olympic Team.

The information presented here is designed only as a summary of criteria. A complete legal outline of the full selection criteria, including details on the process and athlete rights and responsibilities, is available on the USSA’s Web site at www.ussa.org, with a listing under each respective sport’s Advancement Section. A complete listing of all pertinent selection process information is also available at:
https://www.ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/ussa/en/special/olympic-criteria.html

USSA release