XVI Pacific Games Final Roster and Documents due Friday, May 12, 2023

Athletes who previously turned in documents for the Micronesian Games do not need to resubmit new documents for the Pacific Games, with the exception of the GNOC Power of Attorney for Minors which must be renewed and resubmitted for each Games.

Only those athletes who did not previously submit documents for the Micronesian Games need to turn in completed original hard copy documents by the Friday, May 12 deadline as stated below.

The XVI Pacific Games is scheduled to take place between November 19 to December 2, 2023 in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

This competition is open to all swimmers who meet the GNOC residency requirements and the FINA minimum age requirements (14-years old for girls and 15-years old for boys as of December 31 of the year of the event).

It is the personal responsibility of each athlete and swim club to learn the requirements and to make sure that their nominations and documents are submitted in time.

In order to ensure timely processing, all documents must be turned into GSF by NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Documents and forms required to be completed and turned in to GSF for each participant by FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023 are:
1. GNOC Athlete Nomination Form;
2. GNOC Eligibility Code of Conduct/Waiver;
3. GNOC Residency Guidelines & Information Sheet on Residency Matters;
4. GNOC 2023 Handbook;
5. Copy of U.S. Passport (must be valid through June 30, 2024);
6. A high resolution digital photo in *.jpg format at 300kb-500b. No facial expressions (i.e.: smiling, teeth showing, etc.); no obstructions on face, head, and neck area (i.e.: prescription glasses, sunglasses, hats, scarves, etc.); and must have a light-colored background (white/off-white). Non-compliant photos will be returned.
7. Police Clearance;
8. Court Clearance;
9. GNOC Physical/Medical Clearance Form; and
10. ORADO TUE Form: For athletes taking medication(s) containing prohibited substances for an illness(es)/condition(s).

Regardless of TUE status, it is EVERY ATHLETE’S RESPONSIBILITY to review and understand the WADA Prohibited List. Parents of minor athletes MUST also review and understand the WADA Prohibited List. There is zero tolerance for not abiding by WADA and ORADO requirements/standards. No excuses accepted.

- Parent/Guardian of minor athlete(s) under the age of 18 years old MUST countersign all GNOC documents.

- Additionally, the GNOC Power of Attorney for Minors must be submitted prior to travel. A new Power of Attorney is required to be signed and submitted for each Games regardless of whether a previous POA was submitted.

- All documents must be in the form of hard printed copies with original signatures. This includes documents for Athletes/Team Officials who may be located off-island.

- Digital or email copies, and incomplete or unsigned documents, will NOT be accepted. All non-compliant and/or untimely documents SHALL be returned.

2023 Micronesian Games rescheduled

New dates have been established for the 10th Micronesian Games to be held in Majuro, Marshall Islands. Instead of July 25 to August 5, 2023, the the multi-sport event was moved up a few days and will now be held between July 22 to August 1, 2023.

Originally scheduled for the summer of 2022, the Micronesian Games was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In July, the Micronesian Games Council announced that Nauru will host the 11th edition in 2026.

GSF Athlete Selection Criteria: Base Time Proximity Standard

On August 12, 2022, the GSF unanimously adopted the BASE TIME PROXIMITY STANDARD to calculate the times and ranking of athletes to be selected for attendance at international off-island competitions, with the exception of the Olympic Games. Sometimes called the “Percentage of Time Standard,” the criteria is used by major swim federations to establish a uniform way to compare times and rank athletes across different events. 

The standard compares the difference between a swim athlete’s time in an individual event to the “B” time standard (ie, the “Base Time”) for that same event as established by a competition’s meet organizers. The formula divides the athlete’s time by the Base Time, and the quotient is converted to a percentage. Athletes will be ranked in order of their percentages, with the highest ranking athlete being the one whose swim time is closest to the Base Time (or “1”).

For the Olympic Games, the qualification and selection criteria shall be that as established by FINA. For universality placement, and at GSF, GNOC, and FINA’s discretion, only the male and female athlete who have achieved the highest FINA Points Table score in any individual Olympic event, as achieved at a FINA-approved qualification event during the qualification period, shall be entered.

Two athletes of the same gender entered via Universality are not permitted. An athlete entering through Universality will be limited to a maximum of up to two Olympic Games in his/her career provided the athlete is not older than the age of thirty (30) as of 31st December of the Olympic year.