The World Selection Committee, or WSC, is the group of people who determines which gymnasts will compete for Team USA at the world championships. Members of the WSC are chosen by their peers, and include Olympic champions, national team coaches, current and former international competitors, and even some fans.
The committee meets at least twice a year and selects one member to serve as Chair. The Chair is responsible for managing the work of the committee and ensuring that all members have an opportunity to participate in discussions. WSC members are elected for a one-year term, and the terms of office are staggered so that approximately half of the membership is replaced each year.
Ideally, each committee member will be involved in evaluating and discussing every nominee. This allows for a diversity of opinion and avoids the phenomenon of presentation bias, whereby those who are evaluated or discussed earlier receive more attention and are deemed to be higher quality than those reviewed later. Each member should also use a random ordering to rate and discuss the nominations, so that each nominee is given equal opportunities for consideration.
In addition, it is important that the committee have sufficient time to make a decision. Research has shown that implicit bias is mitigated when committees have time for thoughtful reflection and discussion, instead of making snap judgments. Therefore, a minimum of three hours should be set aside for the committee to meet and make a final selection. This amount of time may be difficult for many busy families and clubs, but it is important that the committee have an opportunity to consider the nominations and make a careful and fair decision.
This week, 10 of the best gymnasts in the country will gather at USAG’s women’s world team selection camp. Among them are Olympians Jade Carey (WOGA) and Jordan Chiles (World Champions Centre), Olympic all-around alternate Leanne Wong (GAGE), and 2016 all-around silver medalist Shilese Jones (Ascend).
USAG is expected to name its five-person world team at the end of the camp, with the highest all-around scorer locking down the first spot on the squad. The fifth team spot will likely go to Skye Blakely (WOGA), who has had a stellar season so far and is a strong competitor on the vault, or Lexi Zeiss (TCT), another vault specialist who has been on a steady upward trend in recent years.
The selection process has been criticized by some gymnasts, coaches, and fans for its perceived shortcomings. In particular, many are frustrated that the committee opted to exclude McCusker from the team because of an injury. While some have argued that her injuries are legitimate, others point out that she had been performing well all year and is an experienced competitor who could have easily filled in for Hurd on both the bars and beam. In other words, excluding her wasn’t really necessary to ensure the strongest possible team.