Abstract
Being selected to or de-selected from the Olympic team can disrupt the athletic status quo for elite athletes (Samuel & Tenebaum, 2011). The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine elite athletes' perceptions of the Olympic team selection process, its impact on their athletic career, and any subsequent transitions that may occur. A sample of two female and five male elite athletes who were attempting to qualify for the 2012 Canadian Olympic team participated in a semi-structured interview prior to the selection process. Data were analyzed using a phenomenological approach (Smith et al., 2011). Analysis of the interviews revealed that athletes who had previous experience with Olympic trials perceived the process as more complex and perceived less support from their sport organization than those who had no prior experience. All athletes believed they would attain their goal of competing at the Olympics, however injury, poor competition conditions, lack of opportunities to make a standard, and poor relationships with sporting bodies were the primary sources of stress and perceived barriers to being selected. Two athletes expected that the outcome of the selection process would determine whether they would transition out of elite sport. The influence of past experiences on athletes' expectations and the complexity of the selection process will be discussed.Acknowledgments: The University of British Columbia Humanities and Social Sciences Grant