World Triathlon has opened applications for its 2023 Athlete Scholarship Program. This is meant to identify and provide support, resources, and expertise to those athletes from developing/emerging national federations.
Athletes will be given assistance to compete at the continental and world level over the second year of the Olympic qualification period (starting May 27, 2023) and will receive help with their preparation and qualification for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games and beyond.
‘Athletes selected for the World Triathlon Athlete Scholarship Program will be carefully ‘placed’ in a program commensurate with their specific needs in the interest of their progressive development to an elite level.’
The target group will be athletes from developing national federations who have already shown competence at a continental and world level and are looking to make the step up to top-level training and racing but need support to do so.
These athletes should be seen as Olympic prospects (Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028) by their national federations. The athletes will be drawn primarily from the U23 and elite ranks.
Qualification criteria
In order to be eligible, athletes must be registered and in good standing with their national federations, and need to have shown the ability to race at a high standard in Continental and World Triathlon Cup-level competitions. The athletes nominated should be committed to competing in the long term and have the Olympic Games as an ultimate objective.
World Triathlon Development will consider the following criteria in the selection process:
- Top five placing at Continental Championship in Elite (U23) in the past two years among the developing/emerging national federations (NF Groups: 2, 3B, 3A)… or ‘Finishing at least in the first two-thirds of two Continental Cup (CC) events in 2022-23”
- Top 200 on the World Triathlon Ranking
- Must be from an emerging/developing national federation (NF Groups: 2, 3B, 3A).
All applications will be considered in conjunction with a strong endorsement from the athlete’s national federation.
Timeline
The applications should be submitted using the online application form no later than Friday, June 16, 2023. Successful applicants will be informed by the end of June 2023, and World Triathlon Development will coordinate the plans with the successful athletes and their federations.
The respective national federation of the applicant must submit all applications, and the national federation must be in good standing with World Triathlon.
The amount of funding allocated to each athlete depends on the program outline submitted by the national federation for each candidate.
The World Triathlon Athlete Scholarship may be used for the following as defined in the athlete’s 2023 planning and approved by World Triathlon Development:
- Participation (travel, accommodation) at qualification races on the way to Paris 2024 and beyond
- Massage, Physiotherapy
- Equipment support
The athletes selected will be tracked for the duration of the placement, and regular reporting will be required from the candidates and their personal coaches.
Athletes who receive a World Triathlon Athlete Scholarship will be required to compete in the Continental Championships (Elite, U23, Junior) and/or the World Championships (U23, Junior) in the year of receiving the scholarship.
All recipients must make themselves available (within reason and without interfering with the athlete’s training, racing or school commitments) for interviews and photo sessions to promote the program in their own country and internationally.
