JEC 2013

[AndyC]

Ah but Graeme you've missed a point -it would appear from the assumed/reported selection policy that they won't allow self-financed competitors. That's "not allowing the children's middle class parents to pay for them to go on holiday" -which just happens to be at an international orienteering event.

[graeme]

Feel free to make that point in your paragraph.
And while you're at it - perhaps you can say what you mean by "an international orienteering event.", e.g. with reference to the International Orienteering Federation.

Obviously its much easier to moan at BO or change the subject than address the issue.

[Mrs H]

It's the middle class parents I feel sorry for......

[Kitch]

I heard that BOF have recently changed their policy so only chosen athletes may be asked to self fund but others in the squad who were willing to self fund to go and get experience are no longer allowed to.(This was a senior example)

I can't understand why anyone would consider that sending athletes to represent GB purely because they can afford to go would be acceptable.
As a past member of the squad and GB teams it was never paossible for people to "buy " a race -
you had to be selected, you had to be good enough
And the athletes agreed with this stance.

[Tatty]

Athletes attending WOC this year had to pay for their flights. The internal flights in Finland were very expensive - the BO & Highland 2015 people attending only flew to Helsinki and then hired a car and drove up! This was a 7 hour drive. With having to pay their way to attend the selection races, also in Finland, it resulted in some over them paying over £1500 to represent GBR .

[graeme]

I can't understand why anyone would consider that sending athletes to represent GB purely because they can afford to go would be acceptable.

You only think that because you were good enough. I'd have been happy to pay .

Now I'm looking forward to slapping down a monkey and making young james an international athlete.

[Kitch]

Not always I wasn't.
and teams often went without all possible places filled (e.g. 6 where we could take 7).
I can recall conversations on whether people could join training camps self funded - this was rejected. International teams - no chance.
All at a time when everything was part fuded by athletes personal contributions anyway.

I think it because I know how hard you have to work for it and I don't think people should be allowed to buy it.

[Gross]

Selection & funding should be separate issues.

Selectors should select teams then policy makers should decide on funding methods. Not selected? Then funding doesn't come into the equation.

[Kitch]

nicely put

[andy]

A lot of you are missing the point... This isn't about money as some of the people in question have said they will pay their own way. This isn't about being crap and not getting selected.

These are potential top elites who haven't had anyone selected in front of them. Have you actually seen the calibre of some of these guys? This isn't me (or graeme ) moaning about not getting a place on the WOC team, these are quality athletes who, with a bit of inspiration, could be top of the world in a few years time.

Selection & funding should be separate issues.

Selectors should select teams then policy makers should decide on funding methods. Not selected? Then funding doesn't come into the equation.

Not exactly, no. Funding can decide how many places there are. This case seems to muddy the waters somewhere in between funding and selection.

[mharky]

Funding doesn't decide how many places there are, competition rules decide how many places there are.

Funding may decide how a governing body uses those places, and then markets those decisions to the athletes and membership. But funding doesn't change the entry limit.

[Homer]

Funding doesn't decide how many places there are, competition rules decide how many places there are.

Funding may decide how a governing body uses those places, and then markets those decisions to the athletes and membership. But funding doesn't change the entry limit.

Agreed. The debate seems to be whether British Orienteering should make use of all the available entries in
a). Junior internationals and
b). Senior internationals.
The majority here seem to agree that we should use all available entries for juniors in order to encourage/give experience to as many as possible, even if this means completely self-funding. Seniors are a different matter.

[King Penguin]

... but I thought the new way of getting more places in future WOCs etc is to score more points at previous top-level international events. Surely the best way to achieve this is to enter as many as is allowed, providing they are "good enough" ? We are not going to score many points if 50% of our entry is forced to retire injured. Whilst I would not suggest selecting / allowing people to run who are not "good enough", the debate here seems to be around not having as many possible permitted to run when they are "good enough".

[Street]

My Norwegian dictionary gives "judgement" as an alternative translation for "skjønn".

"Skjønn" is a sort of subjective judgement. If a person has previous good performances but does not do well at the selection races then they can still take them with "Skjønn" if they believe they have the ability to do well.

[DIDSCO]

I wrote to BOF last year with my concerns about there not being at team at JEC, this is the response I got

"British Orienteering have not sent an official team to JEC for the last 2 years (2011 and 2012) for a couple of reasons. Firstly JEC is now at a time when our coaches believe that our junior athletes should be conditioning in preparation for winter training, rather and racing. And secondly, unfortunately JEC wasn’t a priority for the 2011 and 2012 programme, which because it is limited by funds, focuses on JWOC and EYOC.

Regarding the priorities for the British Junior Team, British Orienteering is committed to making sure that we have a clear and well-resourced ‘Long Term Athlete Development’ programme that leads to an increased number of improving athletes which should relate directly to continuing the trend of ‘improving performances’ at JWOC and EYOC."

So 2 explanations there then. The first one I strongly disagree with, and made me seriously worry over who is actually coaching these young athletes. After JEC the next big international race is Jwoc 10 months away! If you want to race well internationally you need the experience, and lots of it. Inspire these juniors give them the opportunities to develop and experience international races, make them want to commit to the sport and aim to be the best.