STATE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS FAQ'S
The 2015 Little Athletics NSW State Track & Field Championships will be held on Friday, Saturday & Sunday, 20, 21 & 22 March at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre. Below are some answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the event: -
Q What time does the event start?
A The first events will begin at 5.30pm on Friday 20 March 2015. The program is fully timed.
Athletes in track events must attend the call room 20 minutes prior to the start time. On Friday evening, athletes in field events 1 to 10 go directly to the relevant field event area 20 minutes before the start time. On Saturday and Sunday, the first events commence at 8am.
Athletes in track events report to the call room 20 minutes prior to the start time. On Saturday, athletes in field events 19 to 29 report directly to the relevant field area. On Sunday, athletes in field events 54 to 64 report directly to the relevant field area. Please note that some of these events will take place on the warm up track.
Q Am I able to find out at what time a certain event will take place?
A The list of events, with call room times and start times has been published and is available on the website in the Competitions, Championships section, as well as in the program for sale at the event. (www.lansw.com.au).
Q What is the call room?
A The call room is where athletes are marshaled prior to each event.
Q. Is there a call room on both the main track and warm up track?
A. Yes, there is a one call room at the main track and one at the warm up track. Athletes in events on the warm up track (track and field) will report to the call room at the warm up track 20 minutes prior to the start of their event, with the exception of the first lot of field events where athletes report directly to the field event area.
Q How do athletes know when to go to the call room?
A NO calls will be made. All events have scheduled start times. The list of events shows both the call room time and start time of every event. It is the responsibility of all athletes to report to the call room at the listed time. If by any chance the program runs behind time, then the required adjustment to call room times will be announced. The call room will be located near the entrance to the marathon tunnel which leads onto the track. The warm up track call room will be located on the left as you enter that track (left of grandstand).
Q What spike lengths are allowed at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre?
A The maximum allowable spike length is 7mm for the track and long jump, and 9mm for the high jump. Reminder that athletes in the U10 to U17 are the only athletes permitted to wear spike shoes.
Q Can I use my own starting blocks?
A No private starting blocks are permitted at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre. Fully adjustable blocks will be made available as required. Starting blocks are only to be used by athletes in the U10 to U17 age groups.
Q How do you progress from a heat to a final?
A With up to 24 competitors in each event, there are 3 heats for track events from 70m up to and including the 400m. In these events, 1st and 2nd placings plus the next 2 fastest times shall proceed to the final (making a total of 8 in each final).
In the 800m there will be 2 heats of (up to 12). The first 6 placings plus the next 4 fastest times will proceed to the final (making a total of 16 in each final).
Q How will athletes be placed at the start for events that use a pack start, now that there are 24 competitors?
A In the 3km, 1500m and walks, the fastest 16 qualifiers will be placed randomly on the front line and the remaining athletes will be placed behind them.
Q Will programs be available at the championships?
A Programs will be on sale during the weekend for $5 each.
Q. Where can athletes warm up?
A On the warm up track ONLY when no circular events are being held. Athletes must only use the back straight. Other grass areas located behind the grandstand on the main arena and are also used for warm up. For the athletes’ safety, implements cannot be used during warm up.
Q How do I find other people from my centre?
A A board will be placed near the entry to SOPAC. The first representative of each centre to arrive should write on this board the bay/area in which they will be sitting.
Q Can we bring eskies/food into the venue?
A Yes, you can bring eskies/food into the venue, but it can only be what you have brought from home. Please note that Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre has a catering contractor, therefore NO pre purchased take away food or hot drinks eg. McDonald’s, Subway, Gloria Jeans etc. can be brought into the venue. People who bring eskies/bags through the gate should be aware that security will be doing bag checks upon entry. Glass, alcohol and sharp objects will not be allowed and will be confiscated.
Q. Will there be live results at this championship?
A. Yes, results will be published. You can view the live results by going to www.nswathletics.info/lansw
Q. Can we bring bikes/skateboards/scooters into the venue?
A. No. There are bike racks outside the main gate entry where they can be locked and stored.
(Make sure you bring your own lock). Skateboards and/or scooters are not permitted to be brought into the venue.
Q Can we bring our pets?
A No pets of any kind are permitted at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre. If you bring a pet you will be asked to leave the venue immediately.
Q. What time will the gates open?
Gates will open at 2.30pm on Friday and 6.30am on both Saturday & Sunday. Gate entry fee is $5 per person per day, children Under 18 free.
A 3-day pass will also be available to purchase on Friday, at a cost of $12 per person, which will cover entry for all 3 days. There is NO pensioner concession.
Entry is FREE for Athletics Australia accredited coaches. To gain free entry coaches will need to produce their current accreditation card at the gate showing name and expiry date.
Please ensure that you endeavour to have the correct change available, to avoid congestion and delays.
Q Where do we park?
A Parking areas for the Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre are parking stations P1 and P4.
Entry to SOPAC is via the gates at Edwin Flack Drive – NOTE: This is the only entry open to the public.
Access to the warm up track is via the main entry gate on Edwin Flack Drive.
Please Note:
If you park in P2 (near Aquatic Centre), you will need to walk around the stadium to gain access to the venue. It is strongly recommended that you do NOT park in P2 unless you’re happy to walk around.
Please make sure members of the centre allow sufficient time to walk from the car park to the athletics stadium. Ample parking will always be available in P1. A flat rate of $15 applies to the parking stations. If you wish to pay the reduced parking rate, you must get a flat rate voucher (available from the Information Officer) prior to leaving the venue
Q What should centre parent/helpers wear at events?
A All centres should advise their parent/helpers that they must wear closed in shoes on the field, as a safety precaution.
Q. Can mobile phones be used whilst on one of the arenas?
A. No. Mobile phones CANNOT be used on either the main or warm up tracks and should not be taken onto the field.
Q If we have a query, who should we see?
Q If an athlete or spectator is injured or sick, where do they go?
A The First Aid area is located under the grandstand, near to where the athletes leave the track/field.
Q What happens in the case of a wet or very hot weekend?
A The event will go ahead. The carnival management will continuously monitor the conditions.
In the case of lightning/thunderstorms, the Little Athletics NSW Lightning Guidelines will be referred to. In the case of very hot conditions, the Little Athletics NSW Hot Weather
Guidelines will be referred to.
In the event of extreme weather conditions the carnival management will advise of the contingency plan. Events may need to be delayed or postponed.
Little Athletics NSW encourages all athletes to: -
Apply sunscreen every two hours, to all exposed areas
Wear protective clothing, including a hat, when not participating in a trial or an event
Stay in the shade as much as possible
Take in small amounts of fluid regularly – before, during and after events
Take a filled drink bottle out to field events
Q Can shade structures, such as tents be erected?
A Any centre/person erecting a shade structure MUST ensure that it is well secured on all corners. In the interests of safety, venue management will require that any shade structure that is not properly secured is taken down. Shade structures must not impede any access way.
Q. Are there reserves for finals?
A. Yes, 2 reserves are named on all lane draws for all track finals. If reserves wish to be considered they must present to the call room with other finalists. Once the event has closed and all finalists who are present have had their names marked off, they are moved to outside the call room. If an athlete (who was listed as a finalist) has not reported to the call room, then the first reserve will be added to the final at this time.
Q What is the ruling on centre uniform?
A Full centre uniform MUST be worn, which includes age patch on the front left hand side of the uniform; McDonald’s registration number on the front of the uniform top; Jetstar sponsors patch on the front right hand side of the uniform top and centre number on the back. If these numbers are not worn, then the athlete will need to purchase a replacement at the Information Area - $10 each for centre and registration Number. The registration number cannot be modified in any way and the red border must be showing.
Approved centre uniform must be worn on the presentation dais.
Q How do I nominate for the U13 State Team and what do I need to know?
A All U13 athletes competing at the LANSW State Track & Field Championships come under consideration for selection in the 2015 NSW State Team to compete in the Asics Australian Little Athletics Championships in Perth on 26 April.
There is no nomination process but all U13 State medalists will be given a NSW Athlete Availability & Contact Form during their medal presentation ceremony. The form needs to be signed and returned to the Information Officer at the ground immediately. The team will be finalised on Monday, 23 March and the athletes selected will be contacted by phone between 5pm and 9pm on that day. All dates in the NSW State Team itinerary are
compulsory. The State Team itinerary, team selection policies, conditions of selection, the NSW team Code of Conduct, FAQs, past ALAC results, rules of competition, championship records and the program of events can be found on the website under Competitions.
It is the responsibility of all prospective team members, their parents/guardians and their coaches to read and make sure they understand the relevant policies and how they operate.
If anyone has a specific query in relation to the intended meaning or operation of the policies, they can contact Little Athletics NSW on 02 9633 4511 or 1800 451 295 or [email protected].
Q How do the Para Events work?
A All events will be conducted as multi-disability events. Competitors will compete against a multi-disability standard time or distance for their classification. Placings will be determined by the competitor’s time/distance calculated against a percentage of the multi-disability time/distance.
Track events will conducted as timed events.
Field events will be restricted to three trials per athlete.
Medals will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places.
The Para events will be conducted according to the LANSW Rules of Competition (2014 Edition). It is the responsibility of all athletes, their parents/guardians and their coaches to make sure they understand the relevant rules and how they operate. (To find these rules go to the NSW section of the Little Athletics website. Click on ‘Competitions’, then ‘Rules of Competition’).
