Sport Ireland (SI) invest in High Performance sports through the annual athlete carding scheme. Collectively as a joint programme SI and Athletics Ireland will manage and administer the 2025 athlete carding scheme. This involves Athletics Ireland taking on responsibility for SI’s carding scheme and being accountable for the overall carding programme.
Carding applications and funding will be managed through Athletics Ireland and SI will oversee the management of the scheme. Additionally, AAI provides funding from its own sources for athletes who do not meet the criteria for individual SI carding (International, Podium, World Class) to athletes that are, or are likely to be, selected and make an impact at targeted international championships via Emerging Talent, Development and Discretionary categories of carding.
This document outlines Athletics Ireland’s High Performance 2025 carding scheme (Operation Gold Performance Programme or ‘OGPP’) for athletes aged 20 and older, the programme support structures, selection process and policy, appeals process and how athletes will be considered for carding at the various levels of the programme.
Please note, applications for Emerging Talent Carding (for athletes aged 16 to 19 on 31st December 2024) will be handled separately via the Performance Pathway Programme. Full criteria and application form for Emerging Talent Carding will be made available shortly via separate links below.
A key strategic goal of Athletics Ireland’s high performance programme is to provide a world‐class approach to identify and develop talented athletes capable of winning at the highest level in their event discipline. The OGPP was developed and has evolved to select talented athletes and support this strategy to deliver on Athletics Ireland’s high performance goals and vision.
The Operation Gold Performance Programme will select and invest in athletes to provide “more opportunities” and to “achieve performance results”, and will support athletes who can deliver on our performance goals and meet with the individual selection criteria set out within the different levels and age groups (see Carding Categories section 6) of: Podium – World-Class -International, Development, Discretionary and Relay Team categories.
The Operation Gold Performance Programme combines the resources of Athletics Ireland in conjunction with the High Performance funding from Sport Ireland (SI) and the service provision from the Sport Ireland Institute (SII) to deliver a support programme to identified talented athletes. The overall Operation Gold Performance Programme is enabled by, and will be limited to, the resources available from Athletics Ireland and our stakeholders, who provide the resources and funding for our athletes. Priority resourcing will vary at each level of carding and will impact on the total number of athletes supported, particularly at the lower levels of the programme. Moreover, some benefits or support networks may only be available to athletes based in Ireland.
All currently carded and any newly considered athletes must apply for carding each year. The applications for individual carding will be made available on the HP section of AAI HP website (see link below). After selection, athletes will be notified and provided with additional information around carding support. The Selectors retain the discretion to consider an athlete for carding where an application has inadvertently not been made. The process for individual carding:
The 2025 Athletics Ireland Operation Gold Performance Programme Selection Criteria can be found here for athletes aged 20 and over in 2024.
2025 Sport Ireland Carding Criteria (NB – applicants for Sport Ireland Carding should review this document in tandem with the above OGPP Selection Criteria)
The 2025 Carding Application Form, for athletes aged 20 and over in 2024, can be found here. Applications will close on Thursday October 31st 2024.
The 2025 Athletics Ireland Emerging Talent Selection Criteria will be published shortly. The Selection Criteria for 2024 Emerging Talent Carding can be found here (for athletes aged 16 to 19 on 31st December 2024)
The 2025 Emerging Talent Carding Application Form, for athletes aged 16 to 19 on 31 December 2024, is available here.
The Notice of Appeals Form for appealing against a carding decision can be found here.
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