News

2011 World Championship Team selection criteria follows and is attached. Selection races include Jackson Hole, Targhee and Sunlight Mt.. Additionally, one US woman may qualify via 2011 World Cup results.

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2011 ISMF Ski Mountaineering World Championship Selection Criteria for the
US Ski Mountaineering Team

2011 ISMF World Championship

The US Ski Mountaineering Team (the “US Team”) will compete in the 2011 International Ski Mountaineering Federation’s (“ISMF”) World Championships in Claut, Italy in March 2011. (Dates will be announced at a later time.) The competition will take place over a six-day period during which US Team members will compete in four separate events: vertical race, individual race, teams race, and relay race.

Information about the 2010 ISMF World Championships may be accessed here: http://www.canillo2010.org/index.php?lang=en.

US Team Composition

The US Team may be comprised of a maximum of 16 individuals. The US Men’s Team may be comprised of a maximum of 8 individuals. The US Women’s Team may be comprised of a maximum of 8 individuals.

US Team Qualification

Qualifying Races

Selection for the US Men’s Team will be based on performance at three races that will be held in January 2011 (the “Qualifying Races”). In the case of the US Women’s Team, selection for the US Women’s Team will be based on performance at the Qualifying Races and on World Cup ranking.

The Qualifying Races are designated and listed as follows:

1. US Ski Mountaineering Championship (the “National Championships”), January 8, 2011, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming.

2. Grand Targhee Ski Mountaineering Classic (“Targhee”), January 9, 2011, Grand Targhee Resort, Wyoming.

3. Sunlight Mountain Heathen Challenge (“Sunlight”), January 15, 2011, Sunlight Mountain Resort, Colorado.

US Team Qualification

At each Qualifying Race, an allotted number of qualifying spots on the US Team will be available to competitors. There will be a total of 6 potential qualifying spots (3 men, 3 women) at the National Championships; a total of 4 potential qualifying spots (2 men, 2 women) at Targhee; and 3 or 4 potential qualifying spots at Sunlight (2 men, 1 or 2 women (see below for explanation)). Competitors will be awarded a qualifying spot based on the following rules:

1. The winners of the men’s and women’s divisions at the US Ski Mountaineering Championship shall automatically qualify for the US Team. The 2nd and 3rd place finishers of the men’s and women’s divisions shall qualify for the US Team, provided they finish within 20 percent of the winner’s time (the “Time Cut”).

2. The top two finishers of the men’s and women’s divisions, respectively, at the Grand Targhee Ski Mountaineering Classic who did not qualify at the National Championships, shall qualify for the US Team, provided they finish within the Time Cut.

3. The top three finishers of the men’s division at the Sunlight Mountain Heathen Challenge who did not qualify at the National Championships or Targhee shall qualify for the US Men’s Team, provided they finish within the Time Cut.

4. Subject to paragraph 5, the top three finishers of the women’s division at the Sunlight Mountain Heathen Challenge who did not qualify at the National Championships or Targhee shall qualify for the US Women’s Team, provided they finish with the Time Cut. If a competitor qualifies under paragraph 5, the total number of qualifying spots for the US Women’s Team at Sunlight shall be reduced from 3 to 2.

5. The highest-ranked US woman in the 2011 World Cup standings on January 15th shall automatically qualify for the US Women’s Team. In the event that a US woman places in the top 10 in an individual race, that woman shall qualify for the US Team and have a “1st Priority” pick of races. Only one US woman shall qualify via the World Cup process.

6. In the event a top finisher at any of the Qualifying Races does not finish within the respective Time Cut, such competitor (“Competitor A”) shall qualify for the US Team, UNLESS a competitor (“Competitor B”) at any one of the Qualifying Races finishes within a smaller percentage of the respective Qualifying Race winner’s time, in which case the latter competitor – Competitor B – shall qualify for the US Team.

7. In the event there is a tie for a qualifying spot at a Qualifying Race, the tie shall be settled based on the cumulative Qualifying Race times of the competitors.

8. In the event a qualified member of the US Team, for any reason, elects not to participate in the 2011 ISMF World Championships, such member’s spot shall be given to the top, non-qualifying, finisher at Sunlight.

World Championships Event Participation

At World Championships, 4 men and 4 women can participate in the vertical, individual, and relay events; 4 men and 4 women pairs can participate in the team event. Thus, every US Team member will have the opportunity to participate in at least 2 events. Every US Team member will participate in the team race assuming an even number of team members. Every US Team member will either participate in the individual race or the vertical race. Some US Team members will participate in a third event – the relay race.

In determining which US Team members will participate in individual race, which members will participate in the vertical race, and which members will participate in the relay race, there shall be two selection rounds.

The First Round will determine which US Team members will participate in the vertical race and which members will participate in the individual race by following the priority scheme below:

1. 1st Priority: First priority shall be given to winners of Qualifying Races, and for the US Women’s team, to any member who finished in the top 10 of a 2011 World Cup race (hill climb, relay or sprint races not to be included). In the event a US Team member wins multiple Qualifying Races, he/she shall get one pick (vertical or individual), and not multiple picks. Likewise, if a US Women’s Team member wins a Qualifying Race and obtains a top 10 World Cup finish, she shall only receive one pick. In the event that more than one US Women’s Team member places in the top 10 of a 2011 World Cup race, only one pick shall be given to the highest placing woman.

2. 2nd Priority: Second priority shall be given to other qualifying US Team members in ranking order as determined by each member’s results at Qualifying Races. Results will be quantified using the following points scale: 1st-15, 2nd-12, 3rd-10, 4th-7, 5th-6, 6th-5, 7th-4, 8th-3, 9th-2, 10th-1. The cumulative points total for each US Team member shall be termed, the “Qualifying Race Point Rankings.”

The Second Round will determine which US Team members will participate in the relay race by giving preference to the US Team members in the order of the Qualifying Race Point Rankings.

Please email any questions to USSMA Competition Director Pete Swenson at ussmaski@gmail.com

Mountain Hardwear Mad River Valley Race Results are attached. Thanks to all that came out for a great event.

The news is all good on this weekend's Grand Targhee Ski Mountaineering Classic - plenty of snow and fair weather forecast Thursday through race day on Saturday. For info click here, race maps are attached.