To recognize outstanding wushu athletes as excellent role models in the sport of wushu, and to better encourage more wushu talent to contribute to the development of global wushu, the International Wushu Federation (“IWUF”) launches the Athlete of the Year Awards in 2023 and offers this Selection Guideline.
Awards Categories
The IWUF establishes the following Athlete of the Year Awards in 2023:
lWushu Taolu Athlete of the Year 2023
lWushu Sanda Athlete of the Year 2023
lTraditional Wushu Athlete of the Year 2023
lTraditional Wushu Rising Star of the Year 2023
lWushu Taolu Rising Star of the Year 2023
For an athlete to be nominated for the IWUF Athlete of the Year 2023, consideration is based on the participation and achievement in international wushu competitions, sportsmanship, leadership and involvement in the wushu promotion of the nominees. These who have been titled as the IWUF Athlete of the Year 2022 can’t take part in the selection of IWUF Athlete of the Year 2023.
Aspects that are considered include（but are not necessarily limited to）
Wushu Taolu Athlete of the Year 2023
The nominee shall be over 18 years old (born before January 1, 2005) and have participated in the following international wushu competitions:l
16th World Wushu Championships 2023 in Fort Worth, USA
31st FISU’s World University Games – Wushu Competition 2023 in Chengdu, China
3rd SportAccord World Combat Games – Wushu Competition 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Wushu Sanda Athlete of the Year 2023
The nominee shall be over 18 years old (born before January 1, 2005) and have participated in the following international wushu competitions:
16th World Wushu Championships 2023 in Fort Worth, USA
31st FISU’s World University Games – Wushu Competition 2023 in Chengdu, China
3rd SportAccord World Combat Games – Wushu Competition 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Traditional Wushu Athlete of the Year 2023
The nominee shall be over 18 years old (born before January 1, 2005) and have participated in 9th World Kungfu Championships 2023 in Emeishan, China.
Traditional Wushu Athlete of the Year 2023
The nominee shall be over 18 years old (born before January 1, 2005) and have participated in 9th World Kungfu Championships 2023 in Emeishan, China.
Traditional Wushu Rising Star of the Year 2023
The nominee shall be between 15 to 17 years old (born on/between January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2007) and have participated in 9th World Kungfu Championships 2023 in Emeishan, China.
Wushu Taolu Rising Star of the Year 2023
The nominees shall be between 15 to 17 years old (born on/between January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2007) and have participated in the following international wushu competitions:
16th World Wushu Championships 2023 in Fort Worth, USA
31st FISU’s World University Games – Wushu Competition 2023 in Chengdu, China
3rd SportAccord World Combat Games – Wushu Competition 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Display of Sportsmanship：In wushu competitions and activities, athletes shall demonstrate ethical, appropriate, polite and fair behavior, respecting the referees and the opponent, and abiding by the competition rules and IWUF Ethics Code with respect for the Olympic spirit.
Display of Leadership：Athletes are expected to demonstrate the ability to lead and inspire others in engagement in or promotion of wushu. Leadership can be displayed in a number of ways, including (but not limited to) strong belief, positive attitude, ability to lead oneself and promote the continuous growth of the team, and being a good role model.
Involvement in the Wushu Promotion：Athletes can be recognized for their outstanding contributions to promoting and progressing wushu in their country and regions including their involvement as a coach, an official, a judge, a volunteer, an organizer or an ambassador.
Nominating Procedures
Wushu athletes, who are honored as the IWUF Athlete of the Month or Athlete of the International Sports Organization through the recommendation of the IWUF in 2023, and compliant with the nomination criteria of the IWUF Athlete of the Year, will be automatically entered the final online voting of the IWUF Athlete of the Year 2023, without being subject to the preliminary review or recommended quota of member associations.
Nomination by Member Associations：Each member association of the IWUF can nominate and recommend at most 3 female athletes and 3 male athletes for IWUF Athlete of the Year 2022. Each award is limited to one male and one female athlete, and athletes’ self-recommendation won’t be accepted.
Member associations should send and submit the required materials to athletes@iwuf.org before 24:00 on November 30, 2023 (Beijing time).
The nominating member associations shall make the nomination and provide the nomination materials in strict accordance with the requirements and assume corresponding responsibilities for the truthfulness and accuracy of the submitted materials.
Evaluation Procedures
Preliminary Review：The IWUF Secretariat reviews the candidates’ recommendation materials, and enters those who meet the requirements into the preliminary evaluation.
Preliminary Evaluation：The IWUF Secretariat submits the recommendation materials to the IWUF Athletes Committee for the selection of 5 to 10 candidates for each award.
Public Voting：The wushu enthusiasts around the world can vote for their favorite athletes on the official website of the IWUF. Each person can cast one vote a day, and only one candidate can be voted for each award. The voting will be open lasting for one month and the final results of public voting will determine the winners of the 2022 IWUF Athlete of the Year Awards.
Scrutiny & Review：The IWUF Secretariat will organize technical personnel to conduct a technical review of the public vote and determine the final number of valid votes.
Notification and Publicity：The IWUF will inform the recommending association of the winner and the winner himself or herself. The winners will receive the award certificate and IWUF souvenir, and the winner’s wushu story will be published widely on the IWUF official media channels.
The evaluation must adhere to the principles of fairness, impartiality, openness, truthfulness and quality. To maintain the authority of the 2023 IWUF Athlete of the Year Awards, those who conduct any fraudulent or malicious voting behavior will be disqualified and revoked from this activity and its related titles. The relevant associations and relevant personnel will be held accountable. It is prohibited to seek improper benefits in the name of the 2023 IWUF Athlete of the Year Awards.
The IWUF Secretariat reserves the right to interpret the Selection Guidelines（http://www.iwuf.org/multimedia/?doc-type=athletes）.
