sports

Cycling Road - Athlete Selection Criteria

Caxias do Sul 2022

This selection policy has been agreed upon by the US Deaf Cycling Association (USDCA) and the USA Deaf Sports Federation (USADSF). It provides details regarding the process by which USDCA will arrive at athlete nominations. These nominations will be submitted to USADSF for consideration and for final selection to the USA Deaf Cycling Road Team for the Summer Deaflympics 2022 in Caxias do Sul, Brazil (hereinafter called the "Games").

1. SELECTION SYSTEM

1.1 Minimum eligibility requirements for athletes to be considered for selection to the Team:

1.1.1 Nationality/Passport requirements:

1.1.1.1 Athlete must be a national of the United States at the time of nomination.

1.1.1.2 Athlete must hold a valid U.S. passport that will not expire for six months after the conclusion of the Games and 6 months prior to the Games. Except for USA-hosted Games, the staff must possess a valid government-issuedntity card.

1.1.2 Have a hearing loss of at least 55db (3-tone frequency average at 500, 1000 and 2000 Hertz, ISO 1964 Standard) in the better unaided ear, as documented on a recent audiologist-certified audiogram. See audiogram regulations at http://www.deaflympics.com/pdf/AudiogramRegulations.pdf

1.1.3 Minimum International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) standards for participation:

1.1.3.1 Any competitor in the Summer Deaflympics 2022 must be a national of the country of the National Deaf Sports Federation (NDSF) which is entering such competitor.

1.1.3.2 For additional information regarding an athlete who is a national of two or more countries, has changed their nationality or acquired a new nationality, refer to the ICSD Regulations at http://deaflympics.com/icsd/icsd-athlete-nationality-policy

1.1.4 Minimum International Sports Federation - Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) - standards and/or ICSD Entry Standards for participation:

See the entry standard at https://www.uci.org/

1.1.5 Commit to participation in mandatory training and competitions.

1.1.6 Complete the USA Deaf Sports Federation National Team application packet.

1.1.7 Can not participate as a team official - coach, trainer, medial, etc.

1.1.8 Other requirements:

Eligibility:

In order to participate in the selection process, athletes must meet eligibility requirements for participation in the next upcoming international competition. Minimum eligibility requirements are:

United States citizenship
Proof of USA Cycling racing license
Membership in the United States Deaf Cycling Association (USDCA)
Membership in the USA Deaf Sports Federation (USADSF)
Satisfaction of the age requirement: Riders must meet the age requirement for the upcoming competition to be selected for the national team for that competition.
Hearing loss of a degree established by the Internal Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD)
Have competed in at least 10 sanctioned races in the year prior to selection.

1.2 Tryout Events:

We are no longer promoting any tryout due to the responsibility of liability and due to COVID-19. We encourage cyclists to join any local cycling club and participating in any sanctioned race. In this way, we will know their level of experience and results.

1.3 Selection process for athletes to become National Team nominees:

1.3.1

Deaflympics and World Championships - The goal of the USDCA is to select only those athletes who are capable of winning medals in specific cycling events. Thus, USDCA has established prioritized criteria for selection via discretionary criteria:

First Priority: the selection of athletes who have demonstrated that they are medal capable in Deaflympic-style events;

Second Priority: the selection of athletes who have demonstrated that their presence on the team will have a positive impact on the overall team performance and help create a medal capable team in a Deaflympic-style event;

Third Priority: the selection of athletes who have demonstrated the capacity to advance to the level of medal capability in a Deaflympic-style event.

International Events - Some events have little or no value to the USA. However, they can be important for our future youth or potential athletes to start building their preparation for Deaflympics and World Championships. For this reason, USDCA will endeavor to select via discretionary criteria, in order of importance:

Those athletes who are expected to be our top-ranked Americans;
Those athletes capable of a winning performance in a Deaflympic-style event;
Those athletes who can assist the team in producing a medal-winning performance in a Deaflympic-style event;
Those athletes who demonstrate future medal capability in a Deaflympics-style event;
Medal capable athletes in non-Deaflympic-style events;
Athletes who can assist the team in producing a medal-winning performance in a non-Deaflympic-style event.

1.4 Selection Committee:

1.4.1 The US Deaf Cycling Association Selection Committee is comprised of the following members:

• John Skjeveland - Team Manager
• Michael Wynne - Team Manager

1.4.2 Any member of the selection committee that has a possible conflict of interest must disclose it. If such conflict exists, the selection committee member must recuse themselves from the committee discussions and voting. Further, the committee member shall not otherwise influence other members of the committee in the selection process.

2. REMOVAL OF ATHLETES

2.1 Prior to entry by name to USA Deaf Sports Federation, US Deaf Cycling Association has jurisdiction over potential nominees.

2.1.1 Voluntary withdrawal. Athlete must submit a written letter to the US Deaf Cycling Association Executive Director.

2.1.2 Injury or illness as certified by a physician (or medical staff) approved by US Deaf Cycling Association. If an athlete refuses verification of their illness or injury by a physician (or medical staff) approved by US Deaf Cycling Association, their injury will be assumed to be disabling and they may be removed.

2.1.3 Failure to participate in mandatory training and/or competitions.

2.1.4 Violation of US Deaf Cycling Association Code of Conduct (See file).

2.1.5 If for any reason, US Deaf Cycling Association believes that it may not be safe for athletes or other coaches to have this individual on the team between the time of appointment and the event, US Deaf Cycling Association retains the right to remove the athlete.

2.2 Once athlete entries have been submitted to the USA Deaf Sports Federation, the USADSF has jurisdiction over the Team rosters.

2.2.1 Voluntary withdrawal. Athlete must submit a written letter to the USADSF Team Leader.

2.2.2 Injury or illness as certified by a physician (or medical staff) approved by USADSF. If an athlete refuses verification of their illness or injury by a physician (or medical staff) approved by USADSF, their injury will be assumed to be disabling and they may be removed.

2.2.3 Failure to participate in mandatory training and/or competitions.

2.2.4 Violation of USADSF Code of Conduct.

2.3 An athlete may be removed as a nominee to the Team or from the Team for an adjudicated violation of ICSD, WADA, UCI, USADA and/or USADSF anti-doping protocol, policies and procedures, as well as the U.S. Center for SafeSport Code and US Deaf Cycling Association SafeSport policies, as applicable.

3. REPLACEMENT OF ATHLETES

3.1 Prior to entry by name to the USA Deaf Sports Federation, US Deaf Cycling Association has jurisdiction over potential nominees.

3.1.1 There is no way we can replace cyclists due to short notice. The cyclist needs the time to raise funds.

3.2 Once athlete entries have been submitted to USA Deaf Sports Federation, the USADSF has jurisdiction over the Team.

3.2.1 In the event a qualified Team loses one of its athletes due to illness, injury or "force majeure" then the US Deaf Cycling Association Team Leader, in consultation with the USADSF Executive Director, shall propose a replacement athlete. The replacement athlete shall be the most qualified candidate that meets the aforementioned criteria.

If the ICSD, USADSF or Games Organizing Committee (hereinafter "GOC") requires different replacement procedures within a certain time period before the Games or after official nomination of the Final Roster to the USADSF, such procedures for replacement shall be followed.

4. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

4.1 US Deaf Cycling Association will retain the approved Selection Procedures and all supporting documents, including scouting or evaluation forms, and all data from the selection process for six months past the date of the Closing Ceremony of the Games.

5. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

5.1 In addition to the USADSF Code of Conduct, the following documents are required to be signed by an athlete as a condition for nomination to the Summer Deaflympics 2022 and are included as attachments:

* Code of Conduct

6. PUBLICITY/DISTRIBUTION OF PROCEDURES

6.1 The USADSF approved Selection Procedures (complete and unaltered) will be posted/published within ten (10) days of approval by the USA Deaf Sports Federation Board of Directors.

6.2 Information shall be published:

6.2.1 on the USADSF website (http://www.usdeafsports.org/sports/CR/criteria-athlete).

6.2.2 Also distributed through, but not limited to, email, affiliated Cycling Road organizations (US Deaf Cycling Association and USADSF), and USADSF approved Deaf-related publications. Such information shall include a reference to the entire Selection Procedure herein:

Website: http://www.usdeafcycling.org

7. DATE OF NOMINATION

7.1 The Nomination of Athletes form, including replacements, will be submitted to USADSF on or before 28 Feb 2021.

7.2 The list of athletes on the Team are to be announced publicly only after USADSF approves the rosters.

8. MANDATORY TRAINING AND/OR COMPETITIONS

The team managers keep their eye on the progress of cyclists' participating the race. They can keep a track of their training program by online known as Strava.

9. ANTI-DOPING REQUIREMENTS

9.1 Athletes must adhere to all ICSD, WADA, IF, USADA and USADSF anti­-doping protocols, policies and procedures, as applicable. This includes participation in Out-of-Competition Testing as required by the ICSD, WADA, IF, USADA and USADSF Rules, as applicable.

10. GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

10.1 All athletes have a right to obtain due process. Refer to US Deaf Cycling Association's procedures below:

The following is the procedure by which individuals and representatives of USDCA shall attempt to discuss and resolve grievances:

1. Individuals are to discuss grievances that they may have with the staff with whom they are in contact. If a grievance cannot be resolved by the staff, the staff shall inform the individual of the grievance procedure and inform the next higher level of supervisor of the unresolved grievance.

2. If the complainant(s) wishes to pursue the grievance procedure, they must inform the staff member or staff member's supervisor of that intent in writing along with a description of the complaint. Such intent will be communicated by the appropriate personnel to the highest level of supervisor or director.

3. Within ten working days, the complainant, staff member, and director will discuss the grievance and attempt resolution.

4. In the event the grievance is not satisfactorily resolved at this point, the complainant may elect to submit the grievance to the USDCA executive board. The board reviews the case and responds within ten working days.

5. If the complainant remains unsatisfied with the resolution, they may appeal the matter to the USA Deaf Sports Federation. See "9. GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES" below.

All written grievances, USDCA's response to them, and a summary of the action taken on each complaint, will be filed and results reported to USADSF.

10.2 If the selection criteria and the grievance procedures were not followed properly, see ATHLETE GRIEVANCES AND COMPLAINTS.

11. INTERNATIONAL DISCLAIMER

11.1 These procedures are based on ICSD, as applicable, and/or UCI rules and regulations as presently known and understood. Any change in the selection procedures caused by a change in ICSD, as applicable, and/or UCI rules and regulations will be distributed to the affected athletes immediately. The selection criteria are based on the latest information available to US Deaf Cycling Association. However, the selections are always subject to unforeseen, intervening circumstances, and realistically may not have accounted for every possible contingency.

If any force of nature, or force majeure, should cause the altercation or cancellation of any of the selection events listed in this document, these selection procedures will be revised, pursuant to their resubmission to the USADSF.

12. ATHLETE GRIEVANCES AND COMPLAINTS

12.1 If an athlete has questions regarding their opportunity to compete that are not answered by US Deaf Cycling Association, they may contact the USADSF Executive Director, Jameson Crane at crane@usdeafsports.org. If the Executive Director does not respond within 3 business days, the complaint may then contact the USADSF President, Danny Lacey at lacey@usdeafsports.org.

13. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

13.1 This document certifies that USDCA individuals on the Selection Committee understand the standards/criteria set by ICSD, IF, and/or USADSF and have incorporated those standards/criteria into the Selection Procedures. These individuals certify that the information provided herein regarding Athlete Selection Procedures represents the method approved by US Deaf Cycling Association.

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