The Selection Committee is responsible for selecting the winner of the World Food Prize. The Prize is awarded to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in developing and promoting innovative, sustainable, and resilient approaches to global agricultural development, and for helping people around the world achieve food security and improved nutrition. The Committee is comprised of 25 members representing each of the countries (or groups of countries) represented on the Boards of Executive Directors of the World Bank and IMF. The Committee aims to select a diverse group of candidates who have achieved significant accomplishments and whose work transcends geographic boundaries and is inclusive of all parts of the world. This diversity reflects the global nature of the world’s agriculture community and honors the achievements of Dr. Norman Borlaug, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who spread the Green Revolution to every corner of the globe.
Each member of the committee evaluates a vast amount of information during the process, and then independently makes their own decision. The committee can also use computer models, but these tools cannot determine the effect that things like injuries or travel difficulties might have on individual teams. The committee will then make hundreds of ballots and engage in debate over dozens of teams until they are ready to announce the final bracket of 68 tournament teams on Selection Sunday.
Earlier this week USA Gymnastics named its team for next week’s World Championships, but it wasn’t the lineup that fans were expecting to see. USAG chose to pick the top six gymnasts at camp, ignoring the fact that those top six all compete on two events during the competition. The result? An all-around team that includes 2013 national all-around champion Simone Biles, 2012 Olympic gold medalists Kyla Ross and McKayla Maroney, and vault and bars specialist Jordan Chiles.
In order to medal at the World Championships, it’s essential that a team has a strong balance of strengths. That’s why, despite the fact that the committee said it would choose the best five gymnasts at camp based on the results of the GK U.S. Classic, the U.S. Championships, and international competitions, it has to take into account other factors as well.
The biggest question now is what will happen at the women’s world team selection camp, which kicks off Friday with competitions on vault and uneven bars. Biles is currently in the lead, but she’s a slight favorite to lose her spot if she doesn’t win the all-around at the end of the competition Saturday night. Front runners for the last spot include Skye Blakely, Kaliya Lincoln, Shilese Jones, and Jordan Chiles, but only the top four will lock down a berth in the final squad for Liverpool.