The pathway for our Australian Olympic Team shadow team athletes to become 2018 Winter Olympians was the requirement to satisfy all aspects of the Nomination Criteria which was released by Australian Olympic Committee, after review by their legal counsel, for posting online and circulation to all shadow team athletes in late January 2017. There were a number of items including (but not limited to) satisfying the IBSF’s competence standards as well as satisfying SSA’s performance requirements which included minimum physical requirements and achieving start markers in competition on at least two tracks. These requirements were to be achieved across the 2017/18 Season up until the nomination cut off time of midnight on Jan 14, 2018.

In 2man, 4man, Women’s Bobsleigh and Woman’s Skeleton – As Australia is the only nation participating from the Continent of Oceania – Australia is offered a quota position  as long as our team/athletes satisfy the IBSF’s Ouota Allocation competence standard of completing 5 races on 3 tracks over 2 years including 3 races on 2 tracks in the immediate year. The competence standard is NOT a qualification standard. For Australia to accept the quota position – our shadow team athletes must first satisfy the aforementioned SSA performance requirements.

In men’s skeleton – both Australia and NZ participate – this means that if the athletes do not qualify on their own right. Then the Continental Quota position will be offered to the highest ranked athlete from Oceania.

WOMEN’S SKELETON.

Australia has one shadow team athlete Jaclyn Narracott. Australia was offered one Continental Quota Position. As Jaclyn had satisfied all requirements of the AOC approved SSA Nomination Criteria. Jaclyn was nominated to AOC to accept the offered Continental Quota Position.

MEN’S SKELETON.

Australia has three shadow team athletes John Farrow, Nicholas Timmings and Dean Timmings. Australia EARNED one quota position. All three shadow team athletes satisfied the requirements of the AOC approved SSA Nomination Criteria. The tie breaker clause within the Nomination Criteria was to nominate the shadow team athlete with the best two World Cup results achieved during the 2017/18 season. John Farrow had the best two World Cup results and was nominated to AOC to accept the EARNED Quota Position.

There was no appeal launched with CAS.

MEN’S BOBSLEIGH.

Australia has one 2man and one 4man team. Australia was offered one Continental Quota Position for each of 2man and 4man.

Men’s Bobsleigh Pilot – Lucas Mata is the shadow team pilot in both 2man and 4man. Lucas satisfied all requirements of the AOC approved SSA Nomination Criteria.

Men’s Bobsleigh Brakemen 2man. Australia has four shadow team athletes Gareth Nichols, David Mari, Lachlan Reidy and Hayden Smith. All athletes satisfied the performance requirements of the AOC approved SSA Nomination Criteria. Gareth Nichols did not satisfy the requirement to have competed with the nominated pilot in one race during the 2017/18 season and was thus eliminated from contention. The tie breaker clause within the Nomination Criteria was to nominate the athlete with the lowest push comparison score measured across like NAC, EC or WC Races. The only race series in which all three athletes raced was the NAC series – where David Mari has the lowest (best) push comparison score.

Men’s Bobsleigh Crewmen 4man. Australia has four shadow team athletes Gareth Nichols, David Mari, Lachlan Reidy and Hayden Smith. All athletes satisfied the performance requirements of the AOC approved SSA Nomination Criteria. Gareth Nichols did not satisfy the requirement to have competed with the nominated pilot in one race during the 2017/18 season and was thus eliminated from contention. There being no other crew combination available for selection the crewman combination of David Mari, Lachlan Reidy and Hayden Smith stood alone.

Lucas Mata and David Mari were nominated to AOC to accept the offered 2man Continental Quota Position.

Lucas Mata, David Mari, Lachlan Reidy and Hayden Smith were nominated to AOC to accept the offered 4man Continental Quota Position.

There was no appeal launched with CAS.

WOMEN’S BOBSLEIGH.

Australia has one Women’s Bobsleigh team. Australia was offered one Continental Quota Position.

Women’s Bobsleigh Pilot – Breeana Walker is the shadow team pilot . Breeana Walker did not satisfy the performance requirements of the AOC approved SSA Nomination Criteria.

Women’s Bobsleigh Brakemen. Australia has two shadow team athletes Mikayla Dunn and Ashleigh Werner. No athletes satisfied the performance requirements of the AOC approved SSA Nomination Criteria.

In encapsulation – No Women’s Bobsleigh shadow team athlete satisfied the individual Minimum Physical Requirement. No team combination satisfied the team requirement to achieve the start marker in races on two tracks. The combination of Breeana Walker and Mikayla Dunn achieved the start marker on one track in one race. As the team did not satisfy the individual and team performance requirements, no athlete remained eligible for nomination, and therefore SSA could not nominate any athlete for the allocated quota position.

No Woman’s Bobsleigh crew combination was nominated to AOC to accept the offered Women’s Bobsleigh Continental Quota Position.

There was no appeal launched with CAS.

NOTE: The published Nomination Criteria is a template document generated by AOC with specific performance criteria added for each individual sport. It is a legal document which when completed is reviewed by AOC and it’s legal counsel before it was released for posting and distribution by SSA in late January 2017. The Nomination Criteria must be followed without any deviation by the SSA Selection Committee. There are no discretion clauses within. The leading cause of successful CAS appeals is that the Nomination Criteria document is biased, discriminatory, un-achievable or was not followed to its exact implementation requirements.

Below are the performance requirement summaries of our shadow team athletes/teams.

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