SENIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2025 TBILISI – SELECTION

The GBR Squad for the upcoming Senior World Championships, to be held in Tbilisi, Georgia, from July 22nd to 30th 2025, has now been selected. Due to a significant lack of athletes in men’s sabre achieving the qualifying performance standards, there will be a final opportunity for athletes to meet standards at the upcoming European Championships. 

This selection is subject to appeal. The appeal window closes on Thursday, June 12, 2025. See below for more information.

The Selection Panel met on 5th June 2025. In the meeting, the Panel reaffirmed that the initial selection for the World Senior Championships is based on individual athletes and teams meeting the qualification criteria as published in the 2024-25 Selection Policy. If a sufficient number of individual athletes met the required standards, the Panel could allocate additional discretionary places to facilitate participation in the team events.

The Selection Panel acknowledges that the senior World Championships are the most significant performance event of the season, with the largest UK Sport funding subsidy. Therefore, the Panel focuses its selection on athletes and teams who meet the required performance standards.

As a guiding principle, BF has traditionally utilised the European Championships to make more use of discretionary places, to provide GBR pathway athletes who have not met performance standards with the experience of competing at Major Championships. With the notable exception of the European Games (next in 2027), where performance standards are strictly applied for selection by Team GB.

The deadline for accepting your place on Sport:80 is 5 days from the invitation date.

For the BF dedicated Championship event and travel information page, click here.

The invitation contains competition details (known as the Règlements). Please read the invitation carefully.

Selected athletes (listed alphabetically by surname):

Congratulations to all the athletes and their coaches.

Q = Qualified
Met the qualifying standard for selection.
D = Discretionary
Discretionary selection underpinned by a minimum threshold  (International Results at Senior Level < 60 % finishes over three nominated events) or meeting standards set out at lower recognised age categories.
T = Team
Athletes who have not met the qualification standards but have demonstrated strong performances at the Senior, U23, or U20 level may be selected under the current Selection General Principles (5.3.1 GENERAL PRINCIPLES). These fencers have been chosen to support the team when a sufficient number of qualified athletes justified team entry, ensuring alignment with UK Sport funding considerations. Additionally, these athletes are invited to compete in the individual event.

Senior World Championships Selection Panel 2025

The members of the panel were:

Dusty Miller – Chair

Mike McKay – Lead Foil Rep -GBR Selection Panel Rep
Anthony Crutchett –  Lead Sabre Rep – GBR Selection Panel Rep*
Lindsay Bottoms-  Lead Epee Rep
Alex O’Connell – Independent Member -GBR Selection Panel Rep
Pat Aiyenuro  – BF President
Fran Whalley – Sabre recommendations
Ian Lichfield – Epee recommendations
Ben Peggs – Foil Recommendations

Ian Lichfield – Data and Insight

*Unable to attend meeting in person – vote and information to support rationale sent to Selectors in advance of the meeting.

Weapon Selectors – Pre-Selection Meeting Panels

Mike McKay –  GBR Selection Panel Rep
Anthony Crutchett – GBR Selection Panel Rep
Lindsay Bottoms – GBR Selection Panel Rep
Kate O’Connell – GBR Selection Panel  Rep
Kola Abidogun – GBR Selection Panel  Rep
Hugh Kernohan – GBR Selection Panel Rep
Mariette Mason  – GBR Selection Panel Rep
Joanna Braine  – GBR Selection Panel Rep
Nick Fletcher – GBR Selection Panel Rep

The selection was approved by the selection panel on Thursday, 5th June 2025.

For fencers that did not meet the qualification standard for selection, the selection panel took several discretionary factors from the selection policy into account, including:

1. Discretionary selection underpinned by a  minimum threshold  (International Results < 60 % finishes over three events at Senior Level)
2. U23 and Juniors who have met the respective Qualification Standards and are fencing at the senior level or are expected to do so in the  2024-25 season.
3. Team selection to support a development trajectory for the 2028 Olympic Games.

Rankings
The ranking file downloaded from the ranking system is attached to the selection information. If you believe there is an error in the production of these rankings, please register your query here within two working days of the selection announcement.

For Appeals and Complaints, please read below. Please note that selections are subject to appeal.

Appeals & Complaints (Section 13 – extract from the Selection Policy)

144. Any athlete who has not achieved the eligibility criteria and qualifying performance standards for automatic selection for any International Competitions or Major Championships shall have no right of appeal against non-selection for these competitions.
145. Any athlete who has not completed and submitted a ‘GBR Discretionary Selection Form’ shall have no right of appeal against non-selection for these competitions.
146. Any athlete who has not provided a completed Athlete Assessment Form (submitted as part of the Selection Application Form, where applicable) shall have no right of appeal against non-selection for these competitions.
147. Submitting the Selection Application Form allows the athlete to provide relevant data to the Selection Panel. An athlete shall have no right of appeal against non-selection on the grounds that the data supplied by the athlete was missing or inaccurate.

In cases of disappointment that require attention, we kindly ask parents and coaches to encourage open communication. This is a crucial part of an athlete’s development journey, allowing for a better understanding of the selection process and the path to future selection.

We understand that selection decisions can be emotionally charged. We kindly request parents and coaches to refrain from behaving in ways that may amount to abuse or harassment towards BF staff, selectors, and coaches. Such behaviour includes excessive calling, messaging, emailing, and making personal threats. Please note that any such behaviour will be reported for disciplinary action.

Selection queries?

If you have any questions about this post, please submit them to us via the form here, and a GBR Pathway Programme team member will respond.

If you have any outstanding queries, email GBR Support at [email protected], CC’ing your coach.

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