To recognize outstanding wushu athletes as excellent role models in the sport of wushu, and to better encourage more wushu talent to contribute to the development of global wushu, the International Wushu Federation (“IWUF”) launches the Athlete of the Year Awards in 2024 and releases this Selection Guideline.
The deadline for the nomination of Athlete of the Year 2024 is December 16, 2024.
I Award Categories
The IWUF establishes the following Athlete of the Year Awards
in 2024:
Wushu Taolu Athlete of the Year 2024
Wushu Taolu Rising Star of the Year 2024
Wushu Sanda Rising Star of the Year 2024
II Evaluation Criteria and Requirements
For an athlete to be nominated for the IWUF Athlete of the Year 2024, consideration is based on the participation and achievement in international wushu competitions, sportsmanship, leadership, and involvement in the promotion of wushu. These who have been titled as the IWUF Athlete of the Year 2022 and 2023 can’t take part in the selection of IWUF Athlete of the Year 2024. Aspects that are considered include, but are not necessarily limited to:
(I)Nationality
Athletes must be a citizen of the country/territory which they are representing. Those athletes who have dual citizenship can only represent one (1) country/territory in this selection
(II) Participation and Achievement in International Wushu
Competition
1. Wushu Taolu Athlete of the Year 2024
The nominee shall be 18 years of age or older (born before December 31, 2006) and have participated in one of the following international wushu competitions:
International Wushu Invitational Tournament 2024 in Jiangyin, China.
B Group for Championships Events at 4th World Taijiquan Championships 2024 in Singapore
3rdTaolu World Cup 2024 inYokohama, Japan
TWG Series-Wushu 2024 in Hong Kong, China
2. Wushu Taolu Rising Star of the Year 2024
The nominees shall be between 12-17 years old (born between January 1, 2007- December 31, 2012) and have participated in one or more of the following international wushu competitions:
International Wushu Invitational Tournament 2024 in Jiangyin, China.
9th World Junior Wushu Championships 2024 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam
A Group for Championships Events at 4th World Taijiquan Championships 2024 in Singapore
3rdTaolu World Cup 2024 inYokohama, Japan
TWG Series-Wushu 2024 in Hong Kong, China
3. Wushu Sanda Rising Star of the Year 2024
The nominees shall be between 12-17 years old (born between January 1, 2007- December 31, 2012) and have participated in the following international wushu competition:
9th World Junior Wushu Championships 2024 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam
(III) Display of Sportsmanship
Fair Play: Adherence to competition rules and IWUF Ethics Code in respect to the Olympic spirit, respectful behavior towards opponents, referees, officials, and fans. Professionalism: Commitment to training, continuous improvement, and positive representation of the sport.
Integrity: Honest conduct on and off the field, contributing to the sport's integrity.
(IV) Contribution to the Development of Wushu
Promotion of Wushu: Athletes can be recognized for their outstanding contributions to promoting and progressing wushu at local, national, and international levels including participation in demonstrations, workshops, and seminars.
Community Engagement: Involvement in community service and programs that encourage youth participation in wushu.
Display of Leadership: Athletes are expected to demonstrate the ability to lead and inspire others in engagement or promotion of wushu. Leadership can be displayed in a number of ways, including (but not limited to) strong belief, positive attitude, ability to lead oneself and promote the continuous growth of the team, and being a good role model.
Innovation and Creativity: Introduction of new techniques or
methods that enhance the development of the sport of wushu.
III Nominating Procedures
(I) Automatic Nomination
Wushu athletes, who are honored as the IWUF Athlete of the Month, or Athlete of the Year for IWGA through the recommendation of the IWUF in 2024, and compliant with the nomination criteria of the IWUF Athlete of the Year, will be automatically entered into the final online voting of the IWUF Athlete of the Year 2024, without being subject to the preliminary review or recommended quota of member associations.For the qualified athletes from automatic nomination, they can be found at Appendix I.
(II) Nomination by Member Associations
Each member association of the IWUF can nominate and recommend at most 2 female athletes and 2 male athletes for IWUF Athlete of the Year 2024. Each award is limited to one male and one female athlete, and athletes’ self-recommendation won’t be accepted. Member associations should send and submit the following required materials to athletes@iwuf.org before 24:00 on December 16, 2024 (Beijing time).
1. Nomination Form Appendix II. :Completed and submitted by the nominating member federation.
2. Competition Photos: 3-5 high-quality photos
3. Competition Videos: 2-5 high-quality videos (1920*1080, horizontal)
4. Supporting Materials: Any other testimonials that highlight the athlete’s contributions and sportsmanship.
(III)
The nominating member associations shall make the nomination and provide the nomination materials in strict accordance with the requirements and assume corresponding responsibilities for the truthfulness and accuracy of the submitted materials.
IV Evaluation Procedures
(I) Preliminary Review. The IWUF Secretariat reviews the candidates’ recommendation materials, and enters those who meet the requirements into the preliminary evaluation.
(II) Preliminary Evaluation. The IWUF Secretariat submits the recommendation materials to the IWUF Athletes Committee for the selection of 5 to 10 candidates for each award.
(III) Public Voting. The wushu enthusiasts around the world can vote for their favorite athletes on the official website of the IWUF. Each person can cast the vote once a day, and only one candidate can be voted for each award. The voting will be open for one month and the final results of public voting will determine the winners of the 2024 IWUF Athlete of the Year Awards.
(IV) Scrutiny & Review. The IWUF Secretariat will organize technical personnel to conduct a technical review of the public vote and determine the final number of valid votes.
(V) Notification and Publicity. The IWUF will inform the recommending association of the winner and the winner himself or herself. The winners will receive the award certificate and IWUF souvenir, and the winner’s wushu story will be published widely on the IWUF official media channels.
The evaluation must adhere to the principles of fairness, impartiality, openness, truthfulness and quality. To maintain the authority of the 2024 IWUF Athlete of the Year Awards, those who conduct any fraudulent or malicious voting behavior will be disqualified and revoked from this activity and its related titles. The relevant associations and relevant personnel will be held accountable. It is prohibited to seek improper benefits in the name of the 2024 IWUF Athlete of the Year Awards. The IWUF Secretariat reserves the right to interpret the Selection Guidelines.
URL in English：https://www.iwuf.org/xhimg/soft/241115/EN-2024-IWUF-Athlete-of-the-Year-AOTY-English.pdf
URL in Chinese：https://www.iwuf.org/xhimg/soft/241115/CN-2024-IWUF-Athlete-of-the-Year-AOTY-Chinese.pdf
