Qualification for the 2026 Track Cycling World Championships

2023 criteria

Under resolution no. 12/01/2023 of 18 January 2023, selections were based mainly on season results and UCI rankings.

Middle-distance events:

• Madison - riders in the Top 15 of the UCI ranking
• Omnium - the highest-ranked rider in the Top 15 of the UCI ranking
• Elimination race, Scratch, Points race - selection based on season results and assessment in the BPS (current racing plan)

A discretionary selection was possible only by decision of the coach, approved by the Sports Director and the PZKol Board. In practice, meeting the 2023 criteria guaranteed a start at championship events.

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2025 criteria

Under resolution no. 2/01/2025 of 8 January 2025, qualification of middle-distance men was based on results from the 01.01-30.09.2025 season:

• Omnium - places:
  1-10 Nations Cup, 1-8 Elite European Championships, 1-6 U23 European Championships, 1-6 UCI CL.1, 1-3 UCI CL.2
• Madison - places:
  1-10 Nations Cup, 1-8 Elite European Championships, 1-8 U23 European Championships, 1-6 UCI CL.1, 1-3 UCI CL.2
• Elimination race, Scratch, Points race - the same place ranges as above

Discretionary selections were possible at the request of the national team coach, approved by the Training Department and the PZKol Board. Transparent and clearly defined qualification criteria significantly increased riders' chances of selection, because they were based on measurable and objective sporting indicators. Meeting clearly stated qualifying times or finishing in a specified position at high-ranking events translated in practice into real qualification for the national team. In other words - results decided who raced.

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2026 criteria

Annex no. 1 to resolution no. 5(01)/2026 of 21 January 2026 narrows the criteria for elite men in middle-distance events, introducing discretion as the leading qualification criterion and placing the decision to select a rider above his sporting results.

National team strategy:

• Priority is given to riders in the Olympic events: Madison and Omnium
• Mandatory participation in training camps, consultations and racing programmes; exemption only with the written consent of the coach and the PZKol Sports Director

Selection criteria - middle-distance men:

Madison - 2 places

• European Championships 2026: Top 8
• World Championships 2025: Top 8
• Nations Cup 2025: Top 5
• Request by the national team coach, approved by the Board and the Training Department

Omnium - 1 place

• European Championships 2026: Top 8
• World Championships 2025: Top 8
• Nations Cup 2025: Top 5
• Discretionary selection after approval by the Sports Director and the Board

Non-Olympic events - Points race, Scratch, Elimination race

• Selections only from among riders entered for the Olympic events
• Discretionary decision of the PZKol Board

Additional conditions:

• Riders may be replaced by a reserve in the event of injury or illness
• They must maintain an appropriate level of form and report any issues affecting their preparation
• Full compliance with the anti-doping rules of WADA, UCI, ITA, POLADA and PZKol
• Obligation to wear official team clothing during training, races and official events

Additional discretionary criteria:

Priority for riders who, within the last 24 months, have won a Top 3 medal at the World Championships, Olympic Games, World Cup or European Championships in the same event, confirming a high level of sporting form as well as tactical and technical skills in the opinion of the national team coach.

Where the formal criteria were not met - as happened at the recent European Championships in Konya (Turkey) - the national team was selected on a discretionary basis. In practice, this meant that some riders ranked high in the world middle-distance ranking were overlooked. In addition, UCI CL.1 and UCI CL.2 races were removed from the criteria for middle-distance men, even though in previous seasons they offered a real opportunity to earn ranking points and build the position needed to qualify for the World Championships. This limits the sporting pathways to meeting the selection requirements.

For middle-distance women, the range of these races has not changed, which in practice means that the list of competitions allowing men to meet the qualification criteria has been narrowed.

PZKol's failure to respond to letters and requests for an explanation of its decisions further reinforces the belief that the national team selection process was discretionary, without transparent reference to ranking results.

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Comparison of qualification criteria - middle-distance men

System element	2023	2025	2026
Formal basis	Resolution no. 12/01/2023 (18.01.2023)	Resolution no. 2/01/2025 (08.01.2025)	Annex no. 1 to resolution no. 5(01)/2026 (21.01.2026)
Period taken into account	Season results + UCI ranking + coach's decision	01.01-30.09.2025	Results of the 2025 European Championships, 2025 World Championships, 2025 Nations Cup and the coach's decision
Omnium	Highest-ranked rider in the Top 15 of the UCI ranking + coach's decision	1-10 NC, 1-8 Elite EC, 1-6 U23 EC, 1-6 UCI CL.1, 1-3 UCI CL.2 + coach's decision	EC 2026 - Top 8; WCh 2025 - Top 8; NC 2025 - Top 5 + coach's decision
Madison	Top 15 UCI ranking + coach's decision	1-10 NC, 1-8 Elite EC, 1-8 U23 EC, 1-6 UCI CL.1, 1-3 UCI CL.2 + coach's decision	EC 2026 - Top 8; WCh 2025 - Top 8; NC 2025 - Top 5 + coach's decision
Scratch / Elimination / Points race	Season results + BPS assessment + coach's decision	The same place ranges as the Omnium	Selections only from among riders entered for the Olympic events; discretionary decision
UCI CL.1 and CL.2	Not specified as a separate pathway	Explicitly indicated as a qualification pathway	Removed from the list of criteria
Nature of the system	Results-based, ranking-based	Results-based with the option of discretionary selection	Predominantly discretionary
Role of the coach and the Board	Formal approval	Selection possible at the coach's request	Key selection decision
Guarantee once criteria are met	High	High	No guarantee

The lack of data for 2024 prevents a full comparison of the system's continuity.

Key systemic differences

• 2023 - a system based mainly on rankings and measurable sporting results.
• 2025 - detailed, point-based criteria with clearly defined places and the option of earning points at UCI CL.1 and CL.2 events.
• 2026 - a reduced list of races (no CL.1 and CL.2), a strong link to results at championship events and a dominant role for decisions by the coach and the Board. In practice, it is virtually impossible to meet the criteria without being an active national team rider.

In practice, this means a shift from a “hit the result - you race” model (2023-2025) to one in which the result is just one element but does not on its own form the basis for qualification (2026).

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World Cup in Australia - no response from PZKol:

On 6 February 2026, EliteCore Track Team sent PZKol an enquiry about the participation of the men's middle-distance squad in the World Cup in Perth. Should the federation decide not to send a team, the club declared its readiness to cover the riders' participation costs itself, while still racing in the official national team kit.

To date, the club has received no reply, just as with its earlier correspondence. The lack of a clear position from PZKol - combined with the discretionary nature of the qualification criteria for the 2026 season - makes it genuinely difficult for riders to plan their racing and earn the ranking points that matter in qualifying for championship events.

On 11 February 2026, the start list for the Perth World Cup was published, and it did not include a single Polish middle-distance rider. Only the women's sprint squad was sent to Australia.

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Summary

The qualification of middle-distance men for the World Championships in Shanghai shows a clear shift - from a system based on sporting results in 2023 and 2025 to discretionary decisions by the Board and the national team coach in 2026. High ranking positions are still taken into account, but they do not guarantee a start. PZKol's failure to respond to initiatives by clubs such as EliteCore Track Team regarding the World Cup in Australia further limits riders' ability to plan their racing and earn ranking points.

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_{text: Dzmitry Prudnikau
editing: Łukasz Machowczyk}