In contrast to the British and American selection policies, the Spanish selection policy for Paris has different criteria for its men’s and women’s teams.
This is a rather unusual approach as many countries tend to favour keeping their policies identical across genders.
As with all countries, the eligibility of athletes will be affected by whether Spain qualifies a Mixed Team Relay, whether athletes are ranked highly enough in the world rankings and how many slots Spain receives in total.
How will the athletes be picked?
For the Spanish men, the first priority goes to the athlete that has the best finish at the Paris Test Event in August 2023 as long as they finish in the top-3. Should all the men miss the top-3, then the first priority will go to the man with the best World Triathlon ranking as long as it is in the top-8. The Paris Test Event is given primacy over the World Rankings.
Note, all references to the rankings in the selection policy are as of 31st December 2023.
The second priority for the Spanish men will go to the best ranked man in the World Triathlon ranking as long as they are in the top-15. If someone is already picked in priority one, they are not included in priority two.
The third priority is at the discretion of the Spanish Triathlon Federation. The policy notes that the composition of the relay will determine how this slot is filled.
The policy is designed so that one athlete is picked at each stage of priority (so one in priority one, one in priority two and one in priority three). If no man meets priority one, that slot is added to priority three. In such a scenario, two athletes would be picked on a discretionary basis.
Once a man has been selected under priority one or two though, they must ratify their fitness in 2024 by achieving either a top-12 at a WTCS race, a top-5 at a World Cup race or passing an equivalent test set out at the end of 2023. Should they fail to do so, their slot will pass over to priority three and be filled via discretion.
The women’s selection policy functions in a similar manner.
First priority goes to an athlete that finishes in the top-8 at the Paris Test Event or that is ranked in the top-12 in the world rankings (with Paris being more important).
Second priority goes to a woman in the top-20 in the world rankings. And lastly priority three is filled by the discretion of the governing body.
Any woman picked under priority one or two must achieve a WTCS top-15 or a World Cup top-8 in 2024, or meet an equivalent test to be published at the end of 2023. If they fail to meet this standard, the slot is moved to a discretionary pick.
As of the end of 2022, Spain’s relay was ranked 13th in the world and so was not in line to qualify for the Olympics.
Who does the policy favour?
Starting with the women, the policy all but guarantees Miriam Casillas Garcia will qualify for the Paris Olympics. She has become a highly consistent athlete on the WTCS scene and features regularly in the top-10. Achieving a top-8 at the Paris Test Event should be well within her capabilities. Furthermore, with no other woman in the top-50 of the world rankings, she has little competition and currently sits comfortably in the top-10.
By contrast, on the men’s side the competition will be intense. Antonio Serrat Seoane is currently the highest ranked man and could secure his slot under priority one with a good start to the season. Roberto Sanchez Mantecon is close behind and could fulfil priority two on paper.
However, if Mario Mola returns to peak form, he could potentially medal at the Paris Test Event and nab the first priority. Similarly, if Sergio Baxter Cabrera continues to develop, he could steal a slot. Throw in World Cup winners Genis Grau and David Castro Fajardo, and all hell could break loose this year.
Way too early predictions for the team
Miriam Casillas Garcia will almost certainly make the Spanish team so the question is which woman will join her. Spain are in line to qualify a second woman by the skin of their teeth as Anna Godoy Contreras sits on the cut-off line of qualifying individually. Right now, if Godoy Contreras earns the slot, it feels fair for her to take it.
On the men’s side, Spain are due to get three slots due to their depth in the world rankings. Serrat Seoane feels like a safe bet, as does Sanchez Mantecon. However, in all honesty, the pick could go in any direction. Remember, the athletes have their rankings judged as of 31st December 2023. As a result, this year will shape who qualifies and who doesn’t.
Right now, we predict the three Spanish men will be Serrat Seoane, Sanchez Mantecon and Castro Fajardo. One thing is for sure though. It will be fascinating to see how the Spanish battle will play out.
You can view the full selection policy here.
