Safeguarding update for all alpine ski racers
Stuart Brown Photography
Snowsport England is committed to ensuring that all participants in our events can compete in a safe and supportive environment. As part of our ongoing work to strengthen safeguarding practices, we have introduced an update to how competitor information is shared for seeded competitions.
Why This Change Is Needed
The publication of entry lists showing named individuals prior to an event has recently been identified as a potential safeguarding concern. In certain circumstances, such information could be used to determine the future location of an individual, which may place them at risk.
Protecting the wellbeing and privacy of athletes—particularly children and young people—is a priority for Snowsport England. With this in mind, we have taken steps to minimise unnecessary sharing of personal information ahead of Snowsport England competitions.
What Is Changing?
With immediate effect for Snowsport England alpine seeded competitions:
Acceptance bulletins will no longer include competitor lists. Previously published lists of accepted entrants will no longer be shared.
Start lists will only be published on the morning of each race. Competitors and coaches will receive start information on the day of competition, rather than in advance.
No pre-race access to entry lists. Online entry systems will no longer display the names of competitors who have entered prior to the event.
How Entry Confirmation Will Work
We recognise that competitors and coaches rely on clear confirmation of entries. Moving forwards, completion of the online entry process and receipt of an email confirmation is sufficient to confirm acceptance into the race.
There is no need to wait for a published acceptance list. If you receive confirmation via the Snowsport England entry system, your place in the competition is secure.
If there are any anomalies, questions or unresolved issues regarding entries, the race secretary will contact you directly or can be approached to resolve these on a case-by-case basis.
At present, these updates apply specifically to seeded competitions under the Snowsport England umbrella. We are continuing to consult with other stakeholders across the sport to consider how these safeguarding measures may be applied more widely in the future.
Supporting a Safe Competition Environment
We appreciate that this represents a change to established processes, but it is an important step in prioritising participant safety. We thank all athletes, coaches, clubs and officials for their understanding and cooperation as we implement these measures.
If you have any questions regarding this update, please contact us at info@snowsportengland.org.uk.