International Talent Identification Conference 2026
4–5 May (Canberra, ACT) and 8–9 May (Brisbane, QLD)
Co-hosted by the Australian Institute of Sport and the Queensland Academy of Sport, the International Talent Identification and Development Conference 2026 featured leading researchers and practitioners from around the world and examined the latest thinking and practice in identifying and developing sporting talent.
Guided by the theme of ‘Best Practice - Next Practice’, the conference explores what’s working in sport systems today and what’s emerging for future practice.
Conference program
Various - Access restrictions vary by presentation
Canberra
4 May 2026
RestrictedWelcome address
Presenters: Matti Clements
Open AccessOpening address
Presenters: Elissa Morley and Dr Alex Roberts
RestrictedA historical review of Australia’s talent identification and development systems
Panellists: David Martin, Allan Hahn, Jason Gulbin, Tim Matthews
Open AccessEfficiencies in physical talent identification among Australian youth
Presenters: Patrick Norton and Kevin Norton
Open AccessPhysical Development trajectories and elite success in Japanese local TID programs
Presenter: Masahiro Hagiwara
RestrictedA national profile of motor coordination among Malaysian primary school children
Presenter: Mohd Zaid Mohd Ghazali
Open AccessDeveloping and implementing athletics sprint standards in an emerging high-performance system
Presenter: Keenan Dundas
Open AccessSampling a single defender creates a representative basketball shooting assessment for talent identification
Presenter: Christopher Gold
RestrictedStart, turn, free swim and finish techniques for physically impaired para-swimmers
Presenter: Casey Atkins
RestrictedYouth player development model
Presenter: Inigo Mujika
Open AccessInsights of Para experts: The intangibles of talent identification in Para sport
Presenter: Ethan Forge
Open Access
Open AccessI’m not biased”: A longitudinal study on differences in player ratings among staff
Presenter: Bryan Yang
Open AccessAthlete development in women’s artistic gymnastics: Current coaching practice
Presenter: Nathan Lynch
Open AccessCoach microclimates as a lever for talent detection and development
Presenter: Kylie Moulds
Open AccessThe emergence of learning design in the Australian high-performance system: Reframing skill acquisition
Presenters: Michael Maloney & Derek Panchuk
Open AccessAustralian Talent Identification and Development Initiatives
Presenters: Various
Open AccessAustralian System Athlete Development Initiatives - Play Well
Presenters: Cam French
RestrictedAustralian System Athlete Development Initiatives - HP Coach Development
Presenter: Sue Jenkins
Open AccessAustralian System Athlete Development Initiatives - Enabling Para TID through Engineering
Presenter: John Russell
Open AccessAustralian System Athlete Development Initiatives - Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement
Presenter: Kathy Fahim
Open AccessAustralian System Athlete Development Initiatives - Elite Youth Athlete Guidelines
Presenters: Graham Turner & Jamie Pittman
Open AccessAustralian System Athlete Development Initiatives - Future Green & Gold
Presenter: Ben Bond
5 May 2026
Open AccessFirst Day Reflections
Presenters: Joe Baker & Luke MacDonald
RestrictedIdentifying and cultivating talent for Olympic Winter Games - an Australian perspective
Presenter: Hannah Kennedy
Open AccessSkeleton talent transfer - The athlete perspective
Presenter: Jackie Narracott
Open AccessThe Global Sportsprofiler: Mapping and visualising sport demands
Presenter: Juliane Wulff
Open Access
Open AccessRamp to Run: Developing tools to monitor progression of talent identified BMX Freestyle athletes
Presenter: Hannah Walker
Open AccessEmpowering our future champions through a dedicated hybrid approach to learning and development
Presenters: Juanita Weissensteiner, Rebecca Neale
Open AccessA national support model for talented athletes
Presenter: Craig Williams
RestrictedSqueezing the TID lemon: Techniques and reflections for optimising a large-scale, multi-sport TID start-up
Presenters: Jason Gulbin & Karlee Quinn
RestrictedAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement and development in sports pathways
Presenter: Isaac Maynard
Brisbane
8 May 2026
Open AccessWe can’t turn back time: The potential cost of compressed development
Presenter: Sophia Nimphius
Open AccessAIS Position Statement on Early Youth Specialisation
Presenters: Graham Turner & Sam Fox
Open AccessThe mental edge: Examining neurocognitive profiles in emerging talent pathways
Presenter: Magdalena Wojtowicz
RestrictedMultisensory assessment and machine learning for athlete classification in Olympic diving talent identification
Presenter: Stephen MacGabhann
Open AccessA vision on talent: Exploring gaze behaviour in football coaches and scouts
Presenter: Laurens Gilson
Open AccessDoes the halo effect influence the identification of talent in sport?
Presenter: David L Mann
Restricted
Open AccessSupporting skill acquisition in team-sport talent transfer athletes
Presenter: Ben Scott
Open Access
RestrictedAn exploration into short-term athletic development in the QAS YouFor2032 program
Presenter: Jessica McDonald
RestrictedGeography, hotspots and environments in talent development
Presenter: Jack Trace
Open AccessSkill periodisation for athlete development: Developing an applied framework
Presenter: Ceara Larson
Restricted
9 May 2026
Open AccessConference Reflections
Presenters: David T Martin and Ethan Forge
Open AccessEvidence-based tools and strategies for the next generation of high performers
Presenter: Johan Pion
RestrictedHow growth tempo influences vertical stiffness across maturation in youth swimmers
Presenter: Shaun Abbott
Open AccessCan percentile comparison methods (PCMs) better identify developmental trajectories in youth swimmers
Presenter: Joshua Woodridge
RestrictedAthlete Development Framework
Presenter: Nicola Bullock
Open AccessDeveloping an expected points framework in elite wheelchair basketball
Presenter: Luke Mitchell
Open AccessThe quest for success: What are we really pursuing?
Presenter: Nur Adilah Binte Masismadi
Open AccessTwo sides of the same coin?
Presenter: James Davidson
Open Access
Open AccessWhen numbers agree but context resists: Expert consensus and feasibility in talent systems
Presenter: Kyle Bennett
Open AccessAn ecological framework for advancing athlete identification and selection research
Presenter: Nick Wattie
