Future support for Scottish Athletes
Following our
last update to changes in relation to the Talent and Performance Pathway, we have been liaising with GB Climbing to gain further information and insight into the proposed pathway tiers for England and Wales, leading into the GB Junior Team and beyond, with the aim of ensuring alignment and that Scottish athletes have access to similar support and equal opportunities on their athlete journey.
All Nations and their pathways are an important part of GB Climbing and the details of programs (linked below) have been developed collaboratively with the Nations partners to ensure alignment. They seek to allow for difference in the varying landscapes, but parity in the athlete experience, working in support of each other.
Northern Irish athletes will also have the same opportunity to be selected, and access squad activity with support from ClimbScotland via application through the Talent and Pathway Officer. Mountaineering Ireland is an ‘all’ Ireland organisation and we will continue the work to ensure the pathway is inclusive to all eligible athletes.
Below are links to documents with further information regarding the Scotland Development Squad and Scotland Talent Squad and GB Junior Team, and they include an overview of the proposed selection processes.
The publication of this information begins a period of consultation and any stakeholder wishing to provide feedback and/or ask questions can do so by completing the survey at the following link.
Complete the survey
The consultation period and survey will close on the 17th November so that the final Selection Framework documents can be drawn up, taking into account all of the feedback, and published by Christmas 2022 in readiness for the 2023 season.
Links to Docs
Full info on changes for English and Welsh athletes can be found here.
Q&A
What are Performance Standards and Benchmarks?
This is a part of the selection criteria is based on performance, not just event ranking. The standard on routes or boulder problems for each specified selection event will be determined by the collaborative expert input of the team of route setters, forerunners, coaches and performance analyst. This information will then be communicated to athletes prior to the event beginning so they can understand the performance level and then be able to further understand the level of international competition and where their own performance sits in comparison. Athletes and home coaches will be supported collaboratively by GB Climbing Coaches and Pathway coaches in reviewing their performances against the standards and in planning their next steps accordingly.
Why has the GB National Development Squad been changed?
The GB Climbing Pathway has needed to develop further and provide more regular opportunities for athletes to be supported through Regional and National provision and therefore the GB National development squad will cease to exist in its current form in 2023. The changes will enable more localised coaching support for athletes and home coaches at all ages and stages, in both home wall and residential training camp environments.
To increase the support regionally we have needed to work closely with our funding partners to enable the resource to enable this to happen. The Pathway is collaboratively supported by funding partners of Sport England and sportscotland through the BMC and Mountaineering Scotland respectively.
Through working with our partners we have been able to secure funding to enable the changes to happen and increase the resource in the pathway, but this has meant that England and Scotland have needed to develop a collaborative pathway which is aligned. England and Scotland will work closely to ensure that the athlete experiences have parity and can support athletes on their journeys.
What about Speed Climbing?
Plans for speed climbing are still in development and will be communicated as soon as possible.