Ahead of the 2022 World Championships, the top gymnasts will assemble for selection camp this week. Olympic gold medallist Simone Biles will be joined by Tokyo floor exercise champion Jade Carey, Japan national champion Jordan Chiles and 2022 world team hopefuls Katelyn Jones, Skye Blakely and Leanne Wong. The committee will name a six-person world team and up to three non-traveling alternates closer to the start of the competition Oct. 1.
This will be the first selection camp for Biles, Carey and Chiles since last month’s national championships. Jones is expected to make a big impact at the event as she pursues an Olympic berth by winning one of the two women’s spots available on the uneven bars.
Reigning Olympic champion Biles is on the cusp of becoming the most-decorated female gymnast in history. She needs one more medal at the worlds to tie former Soviet Union champion Vitaly Scherbo for the most all-time medals in a single event. Including the medals she won at the Olympics, Biles has 32 career medals — including 25 at worlds.
One of the biggest criticisms of the BCCI’s zonal system is that selectors promote their interests over those of other members, especially those from their own zones. This can lead to a skewed distribution of votes and an unfair evaluation of players. BCCI has tried to address this issue by reducing the number of committee members, but the zonal heads have been reluctant to let go of their control over the process.
It’s also critical for the selection committee to evaluate and discuss all the available candidates in an impartial manner. A key way to do this is by using random ordering when rating and discussing nominees. This helps to eliminate presentation bias – nominees that are evaluated or discussed earlier receive more attention than those reviewed later.
A final point to consider is that the selection committee should always be comprised of a balanced representation of gender and other demographics. A mix of male and female, younger and older, and a variety of athletic and technical backgrounds will help to bring a fresh perspective and encourage healthy debate.
It’s worth noting that the selection committee in question was led by MSK Prasad, who Gautam Gambhir recently called “the worst cricket selection committee in India’s history.” But he and the other members of that committee have not engaged in any discussion about his accusations – merely repeated denials. That alone speaks volumes about the lack of transparency and openness in the selection process. It’s time for the BCCI to take serious action.