It is from this pool of fourteen that we have to choose the
women's world champion. You qualify to fly in a category 1 competition (those
controlled by CIVL) if you place in the top two thirds of a category 2
competition (those controlled by each country's recreational aeronautical
association). Of course, the women have to compete against men in order to
obtain this qualification.

It is possible to get an exemption to attend a category 1 competition, but CIVL
hates giving out these exemption (that go almost exclusively to women) and it is
almost impossible to get an second exemption (once you've had one, you are
supposed to get yourself qualified).

Say eight women from four countries show up at the women's worlds in Brasilia.
If all eight fly in the women's worlds then there will be a women's world
champion. If two of them are on their national team, and they decide to fly in
the open world championship there won't be enough pilots flying in the women's
worlds and it will be cancelled. There will not be a women's world champion
decided.

The six women left over can then fly in the open world championship. It would be
cruel to send them home even if they didn't qualify for the open world
championship by being on their national team (or teams). But even though there
are now eight women from four countries flying in the open world championship
there will not be a women's world champion. It will not be given out to the
highest ranked woman in the open world championship.

Now say enough women (out of the fourteen and any exempted ones) show up from
four countries to make the women's world championship valid, i.e. it will be
used to choose the women's world champion, without the women who have qualified
to fly in the open world championship. That means that the women who choose to
fly in the open, the most qualified women because they have made their national
team, will not be eligible to become the next women's world champion.

This makes sense?

If only fourteen female pilots have met the CIVL qualifications required to
attend the meet, perhaps they are the ones that should decide if there is a
separate women's worlds in Brasilia or the women are combined with the men in
the open world championships. Could it hurt to find out?

Photo by Adam Bain.