by Lance Slaughter,
USAPL EC Member
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Selection process USAPL Team Members for the
2006 IPF Open Bench Press Worlds.
Situational Summary:
The 2006 IPF Open Bench Press Worlds will take place in Budapest, Hungary on May 24-28, 2006, a significant departure from its normal calendar date which in the past and including December 2005 takes place during the first week of December.
Accordingly, USA Powerlifting has adjusted the date of its 2006 Bench Press National Championships, which serve as the qualifying meets for Open and Masters World Bench Press Teams and are usually held in August or September. The anticipated date for 2006 (to be confirmed) will be in late February or early March.
Consequently, Open competitors who intend to qualify for and compete in the 2005 and 2006 Bench Press Worlds may be subject to a compressed competition schedule of four (4) national and international events over an eight month period beginning in September 2005 through May 2006.
To address this potential hardship on these athletes while maintaining our goal to select the best athletes to represent USA Powerlifting, the following selection process for team members for the 2006 IPF Bench Press Worlds has been approved by the USAPL Executive Committee.
Athletes who win a national open title AND compete at the 2005 IPF Bench Press Worlds in December may choose to have their best lift at the IPF Bench Worlds to serve as their qualifying lift for the 2006 Bench Press Worlds Team in lieu of competing at the 2006 USAPL Bench Press Nationals.
The highest qualifying lift among Open lifters who compete at the 2006 Bench Press Nationals and those Open national champions who compete at the 2005 IPF Bench Press Worlds will be selected to the Open team that will compete at the 2006 IPF Open Bench Worlds in Hungary
Two important points. One, the lifter is being provided an option is use their best lift from the 2005 Bench Worlds. He or she may decide to compete at the 2006 Bench Press Nationals if they feel that their qualifying lift at Worlds will not hold up against their anticipated competition. There are pros and cons to taking advantage of this option. The "pro" is that the athlete who has peaked appropriately for Worlds will not need to replicate an outstanding performance again in 2-3 months. He or she may allow that performance to stand. The "con", should they opt to take advantage of this exception, is that their competitors will have a definitive target to shoot for at the 2006 Bench Press Nationals.
Two, please note that this policy is a one-time exception to address a very unique competition schedule. Moving forward for Bench World meets in 2007, the traditional selection process and criteria will be used.
To help clarify this policy, please read the following situational questions:
What if an Open national champion lifted more at the 2005 Bench Press Nationals, can he or she use that higher lift to qualify?
No, the only number that can be used is what is posted at the 2005 IPF Bench Press Worlds. To that point, if the lifter bombed at Worlds, they would have no qualifying number and would need to compete at the 2006 Bench Press Nationals.
Does this apply to alternates who are selected and compete at the IPF Bench Press Worlds?
No. This opportunity will only be extended to 2005 Open national champions who also compete at the 2005 IPF Bench Open Worlds.
What if an athlete has a great meet at Worlds but still intends to compete at Bench Press Nationals anyway. Can he or she still use their best lift at Worlds as their "qualifying" lift?
No, once that athlete has entered Bench Press Nationals, they forfeit their exception and they are competing just like everyone else.
Does this apply to Masters as well?
No. There will be no change in the selection process for the 2006 Masters Bench Team for the IPF Masters Bench Worlds in Miami, FL. That team will selected from qualifying lifts at the 2005 Bench Press Nationals, the 2005 Men's Masters Nationals and the 2006 Women's Nationals.
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