World Athletics U20 Championships

2024 WORLD ATHLETICS U20 CHAMPIONSHIPS

The World Athletics Under-20 Championships represent an important developmental opportunity for developing athletes. The Championships allow athletes, and their personal coaches, to practice planning a double periodised year, dealing with time change and travel, and being able to optimise their performance on the day of competition. As such, these Championships are an important part of the Athletics Australia Performance Pathway strategy, and are fully supported by Athletics Australia.

If anyone has further questions regarding these Championships, please contact Craig Pickering, Director of Performance Sustainability at craig.pickering@athletics.org.au.

Selection Policy Information Session - Athletics Australia held an information session on Monday 6 November 2023 to discuss the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships Selection Policy. A copy of the slides are available below.

Presentation Slides

Presentation Recording

COMPETITION VENUE

SELECTION & NOMINATION

The selection policy below outlines all relevant selection information.

Nomination Window - All athletes must nominate using the link that will be available on this page before the nomination deadline - 5:00pm (AEDT) Friday, April 5, 2024. Late nominations may not be accepted.

Selection Policy

Meet Exemption Request Form

2024 World U20 Qualification System and Standards

TOUR INFORMATION

Travel - As of November 2023, the current plan for athletes selected for the World Under-20 Championships is to have a short pre-departure camp on the Gold Coast in June. We will then depart for Peru in mid-August, where there will be a pre-competition training camp for around 10 days before the start of the championships. This main reasons for this are as follows.

To complete the bulk of the substantial travel time in one go, and allow ample recovery time for the athletes.
To acclimatise to the Peruvian conditions and time zone.

These details are still to be confirmed.

Following the conclusion of the National Championships, more information will be released, including plans for altitude acclimatisation for endurance athletes.

Athlete Levy - Given the costs associated with travel to South America it is estimated that the athlete levy for these Championships will be between $5000-$6000.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: If an athlete under the age of 18 was selected to attend, what would the requirements be of the parents at this stage?

A: All Athletics Australia team staff are required to complete Sport Integrity Australia's Child Safeguarding education before arrival at the first camp. As such, while in the team environment, team staff will have duty of care over under 18 athletes. There is no requirement for parents of these athletes to travel to the pre-departure camp or Lima.

Under 18 team members will be roomed with other under 18 athletes. Over 18 athletes will similarly be roomed with other over-age athletes.

Q: Are Parents/Guardians or Personal Coaches permitted to travel with athletes on the tour?

A: Parents/Guardians and Personal Coaches are welcome to attend the pre-departure camp and staging camp to spectate training and education sessions. However, please be advised that this will be at your own cost and arrangement.

We ask that you respect the team environment, and ensure that should you come to any camps or Lima, you stay in different accommodation from the team.

We are continuing to investigate the availability of Personal Coach passes for the competition and warm up tracks with World Athletics. We will provide an update on this once we know the outcome.

Tickets to competition are typically one of the last things available ahead of the meet. We will let you know how we can procure tickets once we have this information.

Q: Will Athletics Australia’s travel insurance policy cover athletes to compete at the World Athletics Under 20 Championships?

A: Athletics Australia holds a comprehensive travel insurance policy that covers all team members for the duration of their time in the team environment. This policy does not extend to personal coaches or other friends and family travelling to Lima with the team.

Should athletes leave the team environment early to pursue their own travel or alternative plans, they will need to arrange their own travel insurance for this time.

PREPARATION AND PLANNING

Climate – In August, Lima is generally mild, with an average daily high of 19°C, and humid, with an average humidity of 85%. In order to prepare for these conditions, we are currently planning a pre-competition training camp in Lima. More information on any camps associated with the World Under-20 Championships will be released closer to the time.

Periodization - The World Under-20 Championships occur just over four months following the conclusion of the Australian domestic season. For many athletes, this will be the first time they have to follow a double-peak periodisation approach. Coaches and athletes should discuss and plan how best to approach this in terms of:

Recovery time following National Under-20 Championships.
Competition schedule optimisation. How many competitions are required to arrive at the World Under-20 Championships in optimal form, and where and when will these competitions be?
Peaking and tapering. How will your training volume and intensity change in the run up to the World Under-20 Championships?

Athletics Australia will provide a "Preparation Handbook" in the lead up to the event once we have more information regarding the championships, and the pre-championship plan of action has been determined. You can now view the athlete handbook and a presentation to assist with your planning below.

APPROPRIATE COMPETITION TARGETS

With World Athletics including several additional competitions into the calendar for 2024, it will not be possible in many cases, nor in the long-term best interests for athletes in most cases, to consider competing at all competitions in which an athlete may be eligible or qualify. Athletics Australia has learned through experience that purposeful planning brings success. This is something all athletes and coaches should begin to consider now and factor into their planning for 2024.

CONTACT

Should you have any questions regarding the information provided here, or require more information on how best to prepare for the World Under-20 Championships, please contact Craig Pickering, Director of Performance Sustainability, on craig.pickering@athletics.org.au.