Snowsports Association of Ireland is a company limited by guarantee.

Our company registration number is 360385

Click here to download Strategic Plan 2022 – 2026

The SAI is fully committed to safeguarding the wellbeing of its athletes. Every individual should at all times show respect and understanding for their rights, safety and welfare, and conduct themselves in a way that reflects the principles of the SAI and the guidelines contained in the Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport in Ireland.

Our first priority is the welfare of the young people and we are committed to providing an environment which will allow participants to perform to the best of their ability, free from bullying and intimidation.

SAI is fully compliant with the Governance Code for Sport and has been included on the Register of Organisations in compliance with the Governance Code for Sport. 

To view the full register – click HERE

SAI views the Governance journey as ‘on-going’ and will update policies on an regular basis in line with the five principles of the Governance code:

  • Principle 1 – Leading Our Organisation
  • Principle 2 – Exercising Control Over Our Organisation
  • Principle 3 – Being Transparent & Accountable
  • Principle 4 – Working Effectively
  • Principle 5 – Code Of Conduct For Board

Policies

Snowsports athletes can apply for a licence from the SAI to compete in FIS competitions, International Ski Mountaineering races (ISMF), Biathlon races (IBU) and the Freeride World Tour.

Policies relating to competitions are available for:

  • Licence to compete at International Level.
  • Race Entry guidelines (including level of races, quotas for IRL, athletes who are unsure of their level, number of races required per season).
  • High Performance categories
  • Anti-Doping Regulations
  • Insurance guidelines
  • A Licence will only be issued to competitors who have signed an official Declaration relating to the specific sport and comply with all licencing regulations by that International Federation.
  • (download form here for FIS)

The FIS licence year begins on July 1st and finishes on June 30th of the following year. To be eligible for participation in FIS events, a competitor must have a FIS licence issued by his/her National Ski Association. Such a licence shall be valid in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres for the licence year only.

The FIS Licence will only be issued to competitors who have personally signed the Athletes Declaration, in the actual form approved by the FIS Council. All forms from athletes of minority age, according to national laws, (applicants under 18) must be counter-signed by their legal guardians. (download form here)

With the issuance of a licence and race entry the athlete must carry accident insurance, in sufficient amounts to cover accident, transport and rescue costs including race risk. The athlete or the athlete’s guardian assumes full responsibility and will be asked to supply a copy of his / her current insurance policy.

The SAI, sponsors, suppliers, their agents and International Federations decline any responsibility for accidents, damaged or lost equipment and second and third party claims during training or competitions.

Each athlete confirms that they hold valid health Insurance for skiing and snowboard activities as well as training situations which covers the case of bodily injury or property damage in the jurisdiction where they train and compete.

The Anti-Doping Rules of the Snowsports Association of Ireland are the Irish Anti-Doping rules as amended from time to time.

As recognised by both international and national organisations governing sport, the Snowsports Association of Ireland and it’s athletes are required to be compliant with all Anti-Doping regulations.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was set up by the International Olympic Committee to monitor and fight the use of drugs in sport. A full list of prohibited substances can be viewed on the site. https://www.wada-ama.org/en

Sport Ireland also publish a list anti-doping rules and prohibited substances on their website which can be viewed on https://www.sportireland.ie/anti-doping-rules

Please note that prohibited substances may vary from country to country or have a different name – an athlete should check in their jurisdiction.

Registered athletes in the ‘High Performance’ category may be required to answer questions directly to Sport Ireland and be available from time to time to participate in any Anti-Doping workshops / seminars.

An appeal against a decision of the Nomination Committee in any Snowsports discipline must follow  strict procedures as set out below:

1. GROUNDS OF APPEAL

1.1     An athlete’s right to appeal against a decision of the nomination committee is limited to one or more
of the following grounds:

(i)      Failure to follow the nomination policy and procedures
(ii)     Bias

1.2         No appeal against the merits of a particular decision will be accepted.

  1. HOW TO APPEAL

An appeal must be made within 24 hours of the athlete receiving1 confirmation of the decision of the Nomination Committee (“Notice of Appeal”).

The Notice of Appeal must be submitted in writing (by email) to the Honorary Secretary General (“Hon Sec”) of SAI at the following email address ssai@snowsport.ie  and copying in the SAI President who’s email address is admin@snowsports.ie

  • The Notice of Appeal must be submitted using the form set out in Schedule 1 below, and accompanied with the prescribed fee of €500 which will be refunded should the appeal be upheld.
3 SNOWSPORTS SELECTION APPEAL PANEL (SSAP) – COMPOSITION AND FUNCTION

3.1 The Board of Snowsports Association of Ireland will select, by the 15th December 2023, a panel of five people to act as the Snowsports Selection Appeal Panel (“SSAP”).  The SSAP will include:

  • A Performance Director (or equivalent role) of another Irish Sport’s National Governing Body (NGB);
  • A person with sports administration experience or expertise;
  • A qualified lawyer;
  • A former Olympian or Paralympian;
  • A Board member of Snowsports Association of Ireland.
  • A quorum for the SSAP will consist of any three members.
  • No member of the SSAP may be a member of the Nomination Committee or have any involvement or connection with any athlete concerned.
  • The SSAP will determine from its own members who will act as Chairperson, the Chairperson will have a casting vote.
  • The SSAP’s powers are limited to reviewing the Notice of Appeal and either dismissing the appeal or referring it back to the Nomination Committee for re-consideration with or without directions or recommendations. The SSAP has no power of selection or nomination.
4 THE APPEAL PROCEDURES
  • Within 48 hours of receiving the Notice of Appeal, the Hon Sec (and a nominee of his/her choice from the Nomination Committee) may at his/her discretion and in consultation with the athlete, arrange a confidential meeting (in person or virtually) between the parties and their representatives (if any) at which the parties shall endeavour to resolve the appeal by discussion on a without prejudice basis. Such a meeting (which may be held in person or by telephone) shall be held as soon as possible, and within 48 hours after the date the Notice of Appeal is received by the Hon Sec.
  • The purpose of such a meeting is to allow the Nomination Committee to explain the selection decision and to discuss the concerns of the appellant athlete. All participants must agree to be bound by the without prejudice and confidential basis of the meeting. The content of any matters discussed during such meeting may not be used by either party in respect of any hearing of any subsequent appeal or legal proceedings.
  • If no resolution is reached at the meeting, the Hon Sec shall within 24 hours of that meeting, forward the Notice of Appeal and any accompanying documents to the Snowsports Selection Appeal Panel (“SSAP”).
  • Within 24 hours of receiving the Notice of Appeal from the Hon Sec, a three person SSAP shall convene and investigate and determine whether the appeal is either valid or invalid. The minutes of the relevant nomination meeting being challenged will be provided to the SSAP to assist in its determination.
  • An appeal will be invalid if, in the determination of the SSAP, the grounds and procedures of appeal set out in this document have not been met by the appellant. An invalid appeal shall be dismissed, and the relevant parties notified accordingly.
  • If the SSAP deems an appeal to be valid, it shall convene a hearing (the “Appeal Hearing”) as soon as is practical having regard to the proximity of event in question and in any event within 5 working days of determining the matter is valid. The Appeal Hearing may be held in person or remotely.
  • Within at least 24 hours of the Appeal Hearing, the SSAP shall serve notice in writing on all relevant parties of the details of the hearing (“Notice of Hearing”); which shall set out the following:
  • The time, date and venue of the Appeal Hearing;
  • The composition of the SSAP
  • All documents received by SSAP
  • an outline of the parties’ rights at the hearing which includes the following rights: legal representation, to produce additional documents, to deliver submissions, to examine and cross examine witnesses (including expert witnesses); to make statements;
  • where it appears that the interests of a third party (“Interested Party”) may be affected by any decision of the SSAP, the SSAP may invite the Interested Party to attend the Appeal Hearing, make submissions and/or produce additional documents. The Interested Party will

not have a right of audience at the Appeal Hearing but may attend in an observatory capacity and answer any questions put to him/her by the SSAP.

  • each party attending the appeal hearing shall deliver to the Appeal Committee notice of all witnesses and legal representatives and where appropriate, provide copies all witness statements and written submissions within two days of the scheduled appeal hearing;
  • If either party is dissatisfied with the composition of the SSAP, then within 24 hours of receiving the Notice for Hearing, that party must raise any objection setting out the reasons for such objection. The SSAP shall have the right to determine if the objection is upheld or not. If there is any possibility of a perception of bias or actual bias then that member of the SSAP should stand aside, and be replaced by another person from the 5 person SSAP, or where that is not possible an independent person be appointed by the Hon Sec.
  • The appellant may be accompanied by two representatives only or, where the appellant cannot attend the Appeal Hearing, be represented by two persons only. The Respondent (Nominations Committee) may be represented by two persons only, one of whom should be the High Performance Director.
  • The Appeal Hearing will be minuted, and an additional person may be nominated by the SSAP Chairperson as Appeal Secretary.
  • It is a matter for the Chair of the SSAP to decide how the Appeal Hearing will be conducted, but subject to the Chair’s discretion, the hearing would typically adhere to the following format :
    • The appellant will present his/her case without interruption, except for the purpose of clarification, from the SSAP.
    • The SSAP will ask questions.
    • The respondent representative of the Nomination Committee will present his/her case without interruption, except for the purpose of clarification, from the Appeal Panel.
    • Either party may raise questions through the Appeal Panel Chairperson.
    • Each Party shall make final submissions to the Appeal Panel with the Appellant having the right to be heard last following which the appeal shall be concluded.
  • The Appeal Panel will consider the evidence and having done so shall make a decision and shall notify the parties in writing of its decision as soon as possible and preferably within 24 hours of the appeal hearing. The Appellant can withdraw an appeal at any time.
  • The decision of the SSAP, which is by majority, is limited to determining whether either or both grounds for appeal have been substantiated.
  • The SSAP shall email a written reasoned decision to the parties attending the hearing within 24 hours of the appeal hearing and shall communicate the decision orally to the parties on the day of the hearing where it deems appropriate.
  • The decision of the SSAP shall be binding on the parties attending the appeal hearing and any affected third party who is a member of SAI, subject to a right to challenge such decision before the Sports Dispute Solutions Ireland (SDSI in accordance with the SDSI arbitration rules and procedures.
  • Any SDSI arbitral challenge to the decision of SSAP must be commenced within 48 hours of receipt by the appellant of the written decision of SSAP
  1. NOMINATION APPEAL – POWERS OF THE SSAP
    • The SSAP shall have the flexibility to conduct the hearing in any manner it deems fit, subject to the hearing being conducted fairly
  • The SSAP may, at its sole discretion, disregard any failure by a party to adhere to these Procedures and may give such further directions as may be appropriate
  • If any party fails to appear at the hearing or comply with the Chair’s direction or other communication issued by the Chair, the SSAP may proceed in the absence of that party
  • The SSAP shall either uphold or reject the appeal. The SSAP cannot replace the decision of the National Selection Panel. Where the appeal is upheld, then the SSAP shall remit the matter back to the National Selection Panel with directions.
  • Each party shall be responsible for their own costs and expenses, including legal costs for the appeal hearing. The SSAP has no power to make an award of legal costs against a party. The SSAP has the power to order a party to pay for the costs of the appeal hearing, such as room hire, travel, catering, legal assessor and other expenses incurred because of the hearing.
  • The SSAP may not change the selection criteria nor does it have the power to change the selection(s), it can only refer the selection back to the Nomination Committee for their reconsideration
  • Any re-drafting of the Irish Gangwon 2024 Snowsports Team, should such a reconvening of the selection panel take place, will be final and not subject to any further appeal.
  • All parties must maintain confidentiality until the ruling is communicated and any attempt by either party to publicise the matter will be considered as prejudicial by the SSAP and may be subject to legal proceedings.

SELECTION APPEAL

Any Nominated Athlete may appeal against their selection or non-selection by the OFI to the SDSI, in line with the provisions of the National Federation Agreement.

Throughout any Selection Appeals process, the Parties must use their best endeavours, acting in good faith, to resolve the dispute through communication and any communications made for the purposes this process may be made on a without prejudice basis and kept confidential between the parties.

SCHEDULE 1

 

NOTICE OF APPEAL

1. DETAILS OF THE PERSON APPEALING (THE “APPELLANT”)

Name of Appellant

Date of Birth

Over 18?

Address

Email

Phone

Discipline

Name of Barrister/Solicitor or other representative of Appellant (if applicable)

  1. PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN’S DETAILS (IF APPELLANT IS UNDER 18):

 

Name(s)

Address

Email

Phone

3. DETAILS OF RESPONDENT (IF OTHER THAN SAI NOMINATION COMMITTEE)

 

Name of Respondent(s): (Individual or Organisation against whom the Appeal is filed):

Address

Email

Phone

4. INTERESTED PARTIES

Are there any other persons or organisations who or which may be directly affected by, or who has a sufficiently close interest in your selection?

Name

Address and/or Email

Phone

  1. DETAILS OF SELECTION DECISION BEING CHALLENGED:

 

Date of selection decision (If date notified of selection decision is different, please state)

Person(s)/Organisation responsible for selection

Name of parties selected

Details (including date, venue and name) of the next event that the selected team is attending and/or participating in:

 

Please state whether your appeal is based on:

  • bias, and/or
  • the Nomination Policy document was not adhered to

Provide a summary of the nature of this appeal.

Please provide details of outcome and/or relief sought

Please provide details of any documents relied on (explaining the relevance of any document relied upon).

7. URGENT APPEAL

 

Are there grounds for showing that this appeal should be heard as a matter of urgency?

Yes  No

If signatory is someone other than the Appellant, please outline signatory’s relationship with the Appellant)

CHECKLIST

 

  1. Is this document completed, dated and signed?
  1. Have you attached documents you are relying upon?

Have you confirmed if your appeal is on the grounds of (a) bias, and/or (b) the Nomination Policy and Procedures was not adhered to?

  1. Have you either attached a cheque for €500.00 made payable to ‘Snowsports Association of Ireland ’ or transferred €500.00 to the SAI bank account (IBAN: IE12AIBK93329533737053 and BIC: AIBKIE2D)?
  1. Have you sent this form by email only to Sec. General at email ssai@snowsports.ie and copied the President  at admin@snowsports.ie ?

The Winter Youth Olympic Games will take place in Gangwon, South Korea from the 19th January – 1st February, 2024.

As the recognised National Olympic Committee for Ireland by the International Olympic Committee and European Olympic Committee, the Olympic Federation of Ireland is responsible for the final selection of athletes for Team Ireland at Gangwon 2024.  This document outlines clearly to athletes and all stakeholders the full process of the nomination of athletes by the NF and final selection by the OFI to Team Ireland.

This document is subject to the terms and conditions of the YOG 2024 Qualification Guide. All sport specific nomination policies must be read in conjunction with the Gangwon 2024, IOC and IF Qualification Guide for that sport.

 

DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS

Gangwon 2024 See ‘Games’, meaning the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games
Athlete means a person who competes in the sport of the NF and is recognised by that NF as eligible for nomination to Team Ireland.
Court of Arbitration for Sport CAS means the international Court of Arbitration for Sport
Chef de Mission Chief of Mission. The appointed leader of Team Ireland by the OFI
Chief Medical Officer CMO means the appointed lead doctor of Team Ireland responsible for all medical issues with the Team
Conditions of Participation means the document signed by the Team Member in order to permit their participation in the Games and submitted by the OFI to the IOC
European Olympic Committee EOC means the European Olympic Committee
Games means the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games
International Federation IF means the International Federation for the Sport
International Olympic Committee IOC means the International Olympic Committee
Long List LL means the list of all Athletes and Sport Specific Support Staff who are recognised by an NF as potentially eligible and capable of being nominated for a Games Team and therefore prospective members of a Games Team
Minimum Qualification Standard MQS means the minimum performance score set by the relevant IF for a specific sport contained in the Games qualification guide for the sport
National Federation NF means the recognised national federation or national governing body of the sport
National Olympic Committee NOC means the national Olympic committee recognized by the IOC and EOC. In the case of Ireland this is the OFI.
NF Agreement means the agreement between the OFI and the NF which governs the process by which Athletes and Sport Specific Support Staff are nominated and selected for the Games
NF Appeals Policy means the policy submitted by the NF to the OFI which governs how an Athlete can appeal a Nomination Decision
NF Nomination Criteria means the sport specific criteria submitted by the NF to the OFI which governs how an Athlete will be nominated for selection
Nominated Athlete means an athlete nominated by the NF to the OFI
Nomination means the process by which NFs submit the names of Athletes and Sport Specific Support Staff to the OFI for consideration for Selection
Nomination Appeal has the meaning given to it in clause 6.1 below
Nomination Committee means the committee appointed by the NF for the purpose of selecting Athletes and Support Staff for Nomination to the OFI.
Nomination Date means the date specified by the OFI by which time the OFI Nomination List must be submitted to the OFI.
Organising Committee means the Organising Committee of the Games.
OFI Nomination List means the list of Nominated Athletes and Support Staff to be submitted to the OFI on or before the Nomination Date.
OFI Medical Data Capture

Survey

 means the survey issued by the OFI Chief Medical Officer to all Team Members
OFI Selection Committee means the three-person committee appointed by the OFI Executive Committee for the purposes of selecting Athletes and Support Staff for the Games
Olympic Federation of Ireland OFI means the National Olympic Committee of Ireland
Pre-Nomination Status means the intention of the Nomination Committee to either nominate or not nominate an athlete pending any appeal process
Provisional Nomination List means the list of Athletes and Support Staff provisionally nominated on or before the Provisional Nomination Date.
Provisional Nomination Date means a date at least 14 days prior to the OFI Nomination Date.
Selection Appeal has the meaning given to it in clause 6.2 below
Sports Dispute Solutions

Ireland

 SDSI means the independent dispute resolution service for sport in Ireland
Support Staff means the sport specific staff who have been recognised by that NF as eligible for nomination to Team Ireland.
Team Ireland means all Team Members who are selected or appointed by the OFI for the Games
Team Leader means the appointed leader of the specific sport
Team Member Agreement TMA means the OFI’s agreement with Athletes or Support Staff which governs an Athlete’s or Support Staff’s participation in the Games.
World Anti-Doping Agency WADA means the World Anti-Doping Agency

1.       NOMINATION & SELECTION PRINCIPLES

The nomination and selection of the athletes to represent Ireland at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games will be conducted in accordance with the following underlying principles:

1.1.           Performance – The nomination criteria for each sport are designed to identify those athletes most likely to perform to the highest level at the Games. It is understood that in some instances, an NF may set performance standards that are higher than the minimum qualification standards set by the IF.  NFs are encouraged to do this where they feel the minimum qualification standards of the IF are at a lower level than the performance expectations of the sport nationally.

1.2.           Quota Places – The decision to accept quota places will be made jointly by the NF and the OFI. In line with principle 1 ‘Performance’, a decision may be made not to accept all quota slots if athletes do not meet the performance standards set by the NF. The official acceptance or rejection of an allocated quota place in writing is the sole responsibility of the OFI.

1.3.           Transparency, Clarity and Communication– The nomination and selection policy of each NF must be clear and well communicated within a reasonable timeframe to all athletes and coaches to ensure that all stakeholders understand it.

1.4.           Objective decision making – Where possible decisions of Nomination Committees should be based on objective, measurable criteria. Where subjective criteria need to be included such as within teams or pairings, the process for this must be clearly explained to all stakeholders and the rationale for final decisions outlined in the Nomination Meeting notes.

1.5.           Fairness – The Nomination process must be fair and operated without bias or prejudice.

1.6.           Age – The OFI does not set a minimum or maximum age requirement. The age requirement will be in accordance with IF rules for each sport [see sport specific criteria/eligibility].

1.7.           Universality / Re-allocation place acceptance – In sports where Universality Places are awarded or Re-allocation Places offered, the following criteria will apply:

(i)        the decision to apply for such an athlete or team quota slot, will be jointly determined by the NF & OFI.

(ii)       The OFI will only consider nominations for awarded individual universality or re-allocation quota slots on the basis of the athlete meeting either (a) plus (b) or (a) plus (c) from the following criteria:

(a)        The athlete has not competed at a previous Winter Youth Olympic Games.

(b)        The athlete has achieved a minimum performance standard as per the sport specific criteria agreed with the NF.

(c)        The athlete has not had the opportunity to qualify through the normal qualification system due to injury, pregnancy, nationality dispute etc.

(iii)      The OFI will only consider nominations for awarded team universality or re-allocation quota slots if the team has achieved a minimum performance standard as per the sport specific criteria agreed with the NF (each NF Nomination Policy will clearly state what they consider a Team).

  • NF and OFI Approval – All Nomination Policies must be approved in writing by the relevant NF Board and the OFI prior to publication.
  1. NOMINATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

 

The nomination and selection of athletes to the 2024 Irish YOG Team will result from a graduated process of checks and balances to ensure the agreed criteria are applied correctly and to provide extra assurance to athletes that their selection is confirmed by a robust process. The subsequent steps in the process are as follows (the timelines are sport specific and clearly documented within the relevant sport sections):

Step 1: The Irish Qualification period closes.

Step 2: The Nomination Committee convenes and applies the agreed nomination criteria for the sport. Athletes are informed of their pre-nomination status.

Step 3: Sport specific appeal period including internal NF appeal process and external SDSI appeal process if required.

Step 4: Formal nomination of athletes by the Chair of the Nomination Committee to the OFI. All appeals must be concluded before this can happen.

Step 5: The OFI Selection Committee convenes to ratify the NF Nomination after confirming that the criteria have been applied correctly.

Step 6: Athletes are informed of their selection by the Chef de Mission. Should the OFI Selection Committee not select a nominated athlete, the athlete has the right to use the Selection Appeal Process.

  1. NOMINATION AND SELECTION TIMELINES

 

The timelines for nomination and selection are sport specific and laid out in subsequent sections of this document. The close of the Irish qualification period for specific sports is final and will supercede the closing date for athletes to achieve qualifying performances as per the Gangwon 2024 Qualification Guide.

  1. NOMINATION COMMITTEE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES

 

  • Nomination Committees should be made up of a minimum of three voting members, save where the NF seeks permission from the OFI to have less than three voting members. In such circumstances the NF shall set out the reasons justifying why the Nomination Committee should comprise less than three voting members, and the OFI shall have sole discretion to decide whether to grant such permission. There may be more than three voting members but an odd number is recommended to avoid a dead-lock.
  • All relevant information and paperwork should be circulated to the Committee Members in advance of the meeting to allow sufficient time for review to enable informed decision making to occur at the meeting.
  • An independent non-voting chairperson should be appointed. Ideally this person should have proven chairing skills and experience of high-performance selection.
  • Detailed meeting notes must be recorded giving clear rationale for decisions on nomination or non-nomination and retained by the chairperson of the Nomination Committee.
  • NF Nomination criteria must be applied in full fairly and consistently.
  • Where there is any actual or potential conflict of interest or loyalty e.g. where a member of the committee is a personal coach of an athlete, this potential conflict must be declared before the convening of the meeting and this person should be replaced on the committee by another suitably qualified member.
  • The communication of an athlete’s pre-nomination status must be communicated respectfully. The Nomination Committee Chairperson and Performance Director should give careful consideration to how the information is communicated to all Long List athletes. Formal communication should be in writing.
  1. SELECTION COMMITTEE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES

 

  • The Selection Committee shall be made up of three members appointed by the OFI Executive Committee comprising the following members:
    • OFI Chief Executive Officer (Chair)
    • Gangwon 2024 Chef de Mission
    • OFI Executive Committee member. This member will be appointed in advance of each selection meeting and will be selected from those members who do not have any association with the sport being selected.
  • Detailed meeting notes must be recorded giving clear rationale for decisions on selection or non-selection and retained by the chairperson of the Selection Committee.
  • Any perceived or known conflict of interest or loyalty will be declared by a Committee Member in advance and subsequent action will be taken to protect the integrity of the selection process.
  1. APPEALS

 

In accordance with the NF Agreement, there will be two types of appeal, namely Nomination Appeals and Selections Appeals.

  • Nomination Appeals
    • Any Athlete on the Long List may appeal against their nomination or non-nomination by the NF to the Provisional Nomination List in accordance with the procedures set out in set out in the NF’s Appeals Process.
    • The final right of any Nomination Appeal shall be to SDSI.
    • The decision of the SDSI shall be final and binding on the parties.
    • Where the OFI is not a party to a Nomination Appeal, the NF consents to the circulation of the decision of the SDSI Hearing and any other documents (in respect of that Nomination Appeal) to the OFI and to any other party specified by the OFI.
    • The OFI and/or their legal representative reserves the right to observe the SDSI Nomination Appeal.
    • The NF shall not nominate any athlete while any internal appeals process is ongoing and shall confirm same in the athlete nomination form.
  • Selection Appeals
    • Any Nominated Athlete may appeal against their selection or non-selection by the OFI to the SDSI in accordance with clause 6.2(ii) below (“Selection Appeal”). This appeal to the OFI selection decision shall only be available to Nominated Athletes on the following grounds:
      • That the selection decision was affected by actual bias
      • There was no basis upon which the OFI’s decision could be reasonably made;
    • The procedure for a Selection Appeal shall be as follows:
      • Within 48 hours of receiving the OFI’s notice of their non-selection, the Athlete must file and serve (on the respective CEOs of the OFI and NF) a Notice of Appeal with SDSI setting out clearly the grounds upon which they dispute their non-selection.
      • Thereafter the SDSI Procedural Rules shall apply.
      • Any party to a Selection Appeal decision of SDSI may appeal such a decision to CAS in accordance with its rules.
    • Throughout any Selection Appeals process, all parties must use their best endeavours, acting in good faith, to resolve the dispute through communication and any communications made for the purposes this process may be made on a without prejudice basis and kept confidential between the parties.
  1. NOTES TO THE NOMINATION AND SELECTION POLICY

The following will apply for all sports unless otherwise indicated in sport specific sections below:

  • The Board of Directors of the Olympic Federation of Ireland will be the final decision making body in ratifying the position of all athletes and support staff on the 2024 Irish YOG Team.
  • The individuals named on the NF nomination committees in this document are correct at the time of publication. The NFs retain the right to amend the composition of any nomination committee without further notice to athletes.
  • The nomination criteria are subject to change, should there be any material amendment to the Gangwon 2024 Qualification Guide by either the IOC, Gangwon 2024 Organising Committee or the relevant International Federation for the sport. Any amendment to the nomination criteria by a National Federation can only be undertaken following written approval from the OFI. Any amendment must be clearly communicated to all Long List athletes.
  1. ELIGIBILITY FOR NOMINATION AND SELECTION

 

The following will apply for all sports in addition to any NF and/or IF specific eligibility criteria which are detailed in the relevant section. To be eligible for selection athletes must:

  • Be on the Long List
  • Hold a valid Irish Passport.
  • Comply with the provisions of the Olympic Charter currently in force.
  • Have completed the Team Ireland Gangwon 2024 Team Member Agreement.
  • Have completed the IOC Conditions of Participation form (if available at time of nomination).
  • Have achieved the Minimum Qualifying Standard and any additional performance standard set by the NF.
  • Have completed the on-line anti-doping course through Sport Ireland or Sport NI AND a Sport Ireland or Sport NI approved anti-doping workshop within 12 months prior to the nomination date.
  • Is not currently serving a period of ineligibility or period of provisional suspension in relation to an anti-doping rule violation.
  • Have completed the IOC Preventing Competition Manipulation online course.
  • Have completed the OFI Medical Data Capture Survey (if available at time of nomination).
  • Have demonstrated to the satisfaction of their NF that they are fit to perform at a sufficiently competitive level at the Games.
  • Has not acted in such a manner so as to bring himself/herself, the NF, the sport, the IF, the OFI, the IOC or the EOC into current disrepute. For the avoidance of doubt: the evaluation of this requirement is at the sole discretion of the NF Nomination Committee for the purposes of Nomination and at the sole discretion of the OFI Selection Committee for the purposes of Selection: the public disrepute referred to within this clause includes potential and/or actual disrepute; an example of such public disrepute may include (but is not limited to) an athlete being charged with or convicted of a criminal offence.

SPORTS NOMINATION CRITERIA

Sport ALPINE SKIING AND FREESTYLE SKIING MOGULS
National Federation Snowsports Association of Ireland
International Federation International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS)
Team Leader Giorgio Marchesini
Nomination Committee Performance Director, Performance Lead, SAI Board Member, SAI Committee Member, Independent Chair – Any three of the above.
Qualification Slot Quota places are allocated to the NOC
Eligibility Criteria As per section 8 of this document.

Additional eligibility criteria specific to the Sport:

ALPINE SKIING:

·       Must be registered with the SAI and have a valid FIS Licence.

·       To have FIS points in at least four (4) races (2 Slalom and 2 Giant Slalom).

·       Have obtained 160 FIS points in Alpine skiing in either Slalom or Giant Slalom.

·       Be listed on the ‘allowed to start’ YOG FIS Points list for Alpine skiing competition during the qualification period 1 July 2022 to 17 December 2023.

·       Must have been born between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2007.

·       Must meet all eligibility criteria contained within the FIS Alpine Skiing Qualification System for the Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024.

FREESTYLE MOGUL SKIING:

·       Must be registered with the SAI and have a valid FIS Licence.

·       Be listed on the ‘allowed to start’ YOG FIS Points list for Freestyle Mogul skiing competition during the qualification period 1 July 2022 to 17 December 2023.

·       Must have been born between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2009.

·       Must meet all eligibility criteria contained in the FIS Freestyle Skiing Qualification System for the Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024.

FIS will publish the latest YOG FIS Points List on a regular basis.
Universality / Re-allocation Universality / re-allocation places will only be considered in accordance with Clause 1.7 of this document.

Minimum performance standard for consideration for a re-allocation place:

The same criteria apply for consideration of a re-allocation place as for a quota slot.
Notes to Nomination Criteria As per section 7 of this document.

Additional notes specific to the Sport:

Super Giant Slalom event will be subject to additional performance requirements at the Games and entry to this event will be at the sole discretion of the Head Coach.
Nomination Criteria The Nomination Committee will take the following criteria (in no particular order) into consideration.

·       Consistency of performance at FIS races.

·       Likelihood of achieving the highest possible competitive result for Ireland in Gangwon 2024.

·       Evidence of adherence to a competition programme.

·       Evidence of adherence to a comprehensive training programme.

·       In the case of Alpine Skiing consideration may be given to an athlete’s performance level in multiple disciplines
Replacement / Removal ·       Should an athlete be removed or remove themselves following nomination by SAI, any replacement will be selected using the same process as above.

·       Any removal that takes place after selection by the OFI will be made in conjunction with the Chef de Mission.

·       Replacements will be made in line with the Late Athlete Replacement Policy of the Games if applicable.
Nomination Appeal Process Within 24 hours of athletes being informed by the SAI of their nomination or non-nomination for selection an appeal may be lodged. The appeal must be made in line with the SAI appeal policy found in the Policies section above.  Any appeal against the decision of the SAI Appeal Panel may be made exclusively to SDSI within 24 hours of the decision of the SAI Appeal Panel.
Timeline Qualification Timeline period for Gangwon is 1st July 2022 to 17th December 2023.

17th December 2023 :  SAI Nomination Committee Meeting.

18th December 2023 :  SAI will inform all athletes on the Long list of their intention to nominate them to OFI for selection or not.

19th December 2023 : Nominations to OFI will be made by SAI (subject to conclusion of any appeal process.