Athlete
Selection Procedures
2004 Olympic Games -
USA Table Tennis
(This
Selection Procedure has been approved by the USOC.)
Selection System
A.
Athletes may qualify for the 2004 Olympic Team through the following
means/events:
1.
Automatic qualification for
winners in Singles from the 2003 Pan American Games (Per ITTF
website, Olympic Games, General Information, Qualification Timeline).
2.
Automatic qualification for
the top 20 players in the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World
Ranking published following the 2003 World Championships. There is a maximum of
two players per National Olympic Committee determination. If there are more than two USATT top 20 ranked athletes, the
two eligible, highest ranked per gender will earn the automatic qualification.
3.
Qualification through the
2004 North American Trials (“NA Trials”)
via qualification at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials
(“U.S. Trials”).
Per the ITTF Selection Quotas (Section I. B. below), two NA Trials events
will be held (one for Singles, one for Doubles) for athletes from Bermuda,
Canada and the USA. USATT will hold one U.S. Trials event for Men and
Women’s Singles and one U.S. Trials event for Men and Women’s Doubles in
order to select the singles and doubles athletes that will represent the U.S. at
the NA Trials.
4.
Qualification through the ITTF
World Qualification Tournament. USA may be entitled to enter singles
athletes to compete at the World Qualification Tournament.
USATT, if qualified, will nominate the number of athletes allowed to
participate in the World Qualification Tournament based on the highest ranking
of athletes following the NA Trials (first priority) then proceeding to the U.S
Trials (second priority); however, selected athletes will be required to pay all
expenses associated with attending the World Qualification Tournament.
If the USA fills its maximum number of entries
through the ITTF World Ranking and/or through the NA Trials, the USA will
not be eligible to nominate athletes to participate in the ITTF World
Qualification Tournament.
ITTF
Qualification System and Quotas for the 2004 Olympic Games
1. The
maximum number of athletes per NOC shall be three men and three women in the
individual events, and a maximum of two men’s pairs and two women’s
pairs in the doubles event.
2. Per
ITTF Selection Quotas, the ITTF has allocated the following positions for
North America (Bermuda, Canada and USA):
·
Singles
o
Three positions for men
o
Three positions for women
·
Doubles
o
Two additional positions
(athletes) for men
o
Two additional positions
(athletes) for women
U.S. Trials
and Qualifying Tournament – Selection Procedures for Singles
A. U.S. Trials - Number of
Entries
USA Table Tennis will host one U.S. Trials event whereby
12 men and 12 women will compete for the following:
·
A maximum of six entries
(maximum three men and maximum three women, according to the entries available
for the U.S) to represent the U.S. at the NA Trials for Singles.
As of today, July 22, the maximum entries for men are three, and for women two,
due to Gao Jun's qualification through her world ranking.
·
A minimum of eight entries
(four men, four women) on the 2004 USATT National Team for the purpose of the
2004 World Championships (March 1-8,2004, Doha, Qatar).
The nine highest USATT male and female athletes based on
their ratings as of November 1, 2003, will be invited to the U.S.
Trials. The additional three
positions at the U.S. Trials will be filled by athletes who qualify from the
Qualifying Tournament.
B. U.S. Trials -
Format
At the U.S. Trials, the athletes will participate in a
single giant round robin competition in which each athlete will compete against
every other athlete. Each
match will be the best of seven games.
At the conclusion of the U.S. Trials, the athletes will
be rank ordered on the basis of their U.S. Trials competition results, using
previously established and long-standing ITTF rules regarding ordering, tie
breaks, defaults, and such matters.
A list rank ordering the Olympic eligible athletes will
be created based upon the results of the matches played in the U.S. Trials. The
athletes in the top 1 to 3 positions of the U.S. Trials (the maximum number of
entries remaining available for the U.S. according to ITTF qualification
criteria) who are U.S. citizens and meet the IOC eligibility criteria will
represent the U.S. at the NA Trials.
C.
Qualifying Tournament
The remaining three entries at the U.S. Trials (three
entries for men, three entries for women) will be reserved for three male and
three female athletes who place first, second and third at the Qualifying
Tournament. The Qualifying Tournament will be completed in one or two days,
depending upon the final number of entries.
Players will compete in round robin or knockout
elimination competitions, depending upon the final number of entries, to
determine the top three athletes from this field. Each match in the Qualifying
Tournament will be the best of seven games. The three athletes from the
Qualifying Tournament will be seeded 10th, 11th and 12th
at the U.S. Trials. Participation
to the Qualifying Tournament is open to any USATT athlete who is not otherwise
qualified to compete in the U.S. Trials
U.S. Trials- Selection Procedures for Doubles
A.
U.S. Trials - Number of Entries
USA Table Tennis will host one U.S. Trials event for
Men’s Doubles and one U.S. Trials event for Women’s Doubles, where players
may pair (players select their own partner) up and compete for the following:
·
Six (6) entries (3 men’s
doubles pairs and 3 women’s doubles pairs) to represent the U.S. in the NA
Trials for doubles.
B. U.S. Trials - Format
The U.S. Trials format will be decided according to the
number of entries. The format will be published within one week of the
close of the entry for the U.S. Trials (for Doubles). Each match will be played according to the system that
will be used at the 2004 Olympic Games. The USATT rating as of November 1, 2003
will be used for the seeding list.
C. Qualifying Tournament
There will be no Qualifying Tournament for Doubles.
Citizenship
In order
to compete in the Qualifying Tournament or U.S. Trials, athletes must be
citizens of the United States and eligible under the rules of the International
Olympic Committee. Athletes who are
not citizens may petition to enter the Qualifying Tournament or U.S.
Trials. In order to
petition, they must submit a written request by November 20, 2003 for singles (petition
must be received by USATT National Office by November 20, 2003) and January
31, 2004 for doubles (petition must be received by USATT National Office by
January 31, 2004). The petition
must include copies of official documentation that demonstrates the
petitioner’s initiation of the USA citizenship process as well as a timeline
of the anticipated “swearing in” date.
Petitioning
athletes will be notified in writing by December 1, 2003 for singles and by
February 10, 2004 for doubles, of their pre-approval for invitation to
participate in the Qualifying Tournament or U.S. Trials, or their denial. This
determination will be made by a committee composed of: USATT President,
USATT’s Attorney, Olympic Athlete’s Representative and the Executive
Director.
Final
approval of a petitioner’s request to compete in the Qualifying Tournament or
U.S. Trials for consideration of nomination to the 2004 Olympic Team will be
contingent upon his/her proof of U.S. citizenship by the date of the Official
Draw, which will occur three weeks prior to the commencement of the respective
Qualifying Tournament or U.S. Trials.
In
addition to proof of citizenship, athletes who have represented a country other
than the United States in international competition must also satisfy the
requirements of IOC Bylaw, Rule 46, and provide written
proof of satisfaction of the requirements by the date of the Official Draw,
which will occur three weeks prior to the commencement of the respective
Qualifying Tournament or U.S. Trials.
The
final decision on eligibility will rest with USOC.
Tryout Sites and Events
A. Singles
1.
The Qualifying Tournament
will be held on January 13-14, 2004, location TBD (same location as the U.S
Trials).
2.
The U.S. Trials will be held on January 15-18, 2004, location
TBD.
3.
The NA Trials will be held in
Canada on February 14-15, 2004, location TBD.
B. Doubles
1.
The U.S. Trials will be held
on March 18-20, 2004, location TBD.
2.
The NA Trials will be held in
U.S.A. on April 3-4, 2004, location TBD.
Once the locations of the
above events are determined, information will be
posted on USATT website at least 30 days prior to the commencement of
each event.
Replacement
Athlete
A. For the U.S.
Trials (Singles) – In the event that one or more of the nine USATT ranked athletes who enters
the U.S. Trials does not compete in the U.S. Trials for any reason, his/her
position(s) at the U.S. Trials will be granted to the 4th and
subsequent placing finisher(s) from the final results of the Qualifying
Tournament.
B.
Following the U.S Trials - In case of injury or illness of an athlete for
singles or doubles, as certified by a USATT physician,
nominated to NA Trials, a
replacement athlete in singles or doubles pair will be chosen according to the
finishing order at the U.S. Trials. If one player of a doubles pair is injured
or ill neither of the doubles pair will compete and they will be replaced by the
next highest ranked team from the U.S. Trials.
C. Following the
NA Trials - In case of injury or illness of an athlete for singles or
doubles, as certified by a USATT physician, nominated
to the 2004 Olympic Games, a replacement athlete or doubles pair will be
nominated according to the procedures outlined in the ITTF
Qualification System (Reallocation of Unused Quota Positions).
Code of Conduct
All athletes nominated to the
Olympic Team must sign and abide by, prior to and as a condition of being
selected to the team, the USATT Code of Conduct. Failure to do so
will result in dismissal from the Olympic Team.
Mandatory
Training
USATT will hold two mandatory training camps, each camp
lasting no longer than 6 days for athletes nominated to the Olympic Team.
Camp 1: Late February
2004, prior to the 2004 World Championships
Camp 2: Late
July/early August 2004, prior to the 2004 Olympic Games
Should the USATT budget provide, USATT will host a third
mandatory training camp, lasting no longer than 6 days
Camp 3: Late
June/early July, prior to the ITTF Pro Tour
Announcement of specific dates of these camps will be
posted on the USATT website by December 1, 2003.
Athlete
Ombudsman
If an athlete has questions regarding his/her opportunity to compete that
are not answered by USA Table Tennis, he/she may
contact the USOC Athlete Ombudsman, John W. Ruger, at 888-ATHLETE
(telephone) or by e-mail at john.ruger@usoc.org.
International Disclaimer
These procedures are based on
IOC and ITTF rules and regulations as presently known and understood. Any change
in the selection procedures caused by a change in IOC or ITTF rules and
regulations will be distributed to the affected athletes immediately.
The selection criteria are based on the latest information available to
USA Table Tennis. However, the selections are always subject to unforeseen,
intervening circumstances, and realistically have not accounted for every
possible contingency.