Snowboarding has specific criteria for each of its three events, halfpipe, parallel giant slalom (PGS) and snowboardcross (SBX). Snowboarding’s nation’s quota (how many can be entered in an event) must be earned so team size will vary based on results of U.S. athletes on the FIS Snowboard World Cup. Athletes must also achieve a minimum FIS qualifying criteria of at least one top 30 finish in a FIS World Cup or World Championship between July, 2008 and Jan. 25, 2010, and have at least 100 FIS points at the time of nomination in the respective event. Athletes must be pre-qualified to enter selection events. The snowboading selection process contains many additional important details and dates that can be found in the official criteria document.
http://www.ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/dms/documents/2008-09/Snowboard-Criteria/Snowboard%20Criteria.pdf
Overall
Selection Period: Sept. 1, 2009-Jan. 25, 2010 (see each event for list of tryouts) Team Size: Maximum of 18 (max. 10 per gender); actual team size determined through nation’s results on FIS Snowboard World Cup from Jan. 18, 2009-Jan. 18, 2010.
Team Nomination: Jan. 25, 2010
Event Quota: Up to four U.S. athletes per event
Halfpipe
Up to three men and three women will be selected from individual results in five selection events as part of the 2009-20 U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix. Athletes must be pre-qualified to enter (see selection criteria document for details). Additional athletes will be named based on medal potential if overall Team quota spots are available. Scheduled dates are as follow:
Dec. 12, 2009 – Copper Mountain, CO (1 event) Jan. 6, 9, 2010 – Mammoth Mountain, CA (2 events) Jan. 22-23, 2010 – Park City, UT (2 events)
Top Criteria:
1. Up to three athletes per gender who have had a top-four finish against the full competition field (including non-USSA athletes) in selection events.
2. If no athletes selected by criteria point 1, one athlete per gender will be selected using the average of top two results in selection events (FIS 1,000 point system applied to only eligible USSA athletes) 3. If spots remain, discretion of head snowboarding coach
Parallel Giant Slalom
Up to two men and two women will be selected from individual results in four selection events as part of the 2009-20 FIS Snowboard World Cup. Athletes must be pre-qualified to enter (see selection criteria document for details). Additional athletes will be named based on medal potential if overall Team quota spots are available. Scheduled dates are as follow:
Dec. 6, 2009 – Limone Piemonte, Italy
Dec. 17, 2009 – Telluride, CO
Jan. 6, 2010 – Kreischberg, Austria
Jan. 17, 2010 – Nendaz, Switzerland
Jan. 24, 2010 – Stoneham, QUE
Top Criteria:
1. Up to two athletes per gender who have had a top-four finish against the full competition field (including non-USSA athletes) in selection events.
2. If no athletes selected by criteria point 1, one athlete per gender will be selected using the average of top two results in selection events (FIS 1,000 point system applied to only eligible USSA athletes) 3. If spots remain, discretion of head snowboarding coach
Snowboardcross
Up to two men and two women will be selected from individual results in five selection events as part of the 2009-20 FIS Snowboard World Cup. Additional athletes will be named based on medal potential if overall Team quota spots are available. Athletes must be pre-qualified to enter (see selection criteria document for details). Scheduled dates are as follow:
Sept. 12, 2009 – Chapelco, Argentina
Dec. 19, 2009 – Telluride, Colorado
Jan. 10, 2010 – Bad Gastein, Austria
Jan. 15, 2010 – Nandaz, Switzerland
Jan. 21, 2010 – Stoneham, Quebec
Top Criteria:
1. Up to two athletes per gender who have had a top-four finish against the full competition field (including non-USSA athletes) in selection events.
2. If no athletes selected by criteria point 1, one athlete per gender will be selected using the average of top two results in selection events (FIS 1,000 point system applied to only eligible USSA athletes) 3. If spots remain, discretion of head snowboarding coach
SPECIAL NOTES
Maximum event quotas must be earned by teams in each sport during selection period. Maximum team size within a sport with multiple events may impact use of maximum quote in some events. All athletes must also be U.S. citizens, members in good standing of the USSA and holding a valid FIS license at the time of nomination. The USSA presents its list of nominees to the USOC, which will announce the official Olympic Team.
Olympic freestyle athletes will be selected primarily from finishes on the 2009-10 FIS Freestyle World Cup plus winner of Olympic Trials events in moguls and aerials in Steamboat Springs, CO Dec. 23-24. Athletes must have placed in the top 30 in a World Cup or World Championships and have a minimum of 100 FIS points.
