The qualification process
For London 2012 there are 26 sports in the Olympic Games and 20 sports in the Paralympic Games. Opportunities to qualify for these events began back in 2010 and will continue right up to the Sport Entries deadlines of 9 July 2012 and 6 August for the Olympic and Paralympic Games respectively.
Each sport’s International Federation (IF), in conjunction with the IOC and IPC, sets strict qualification criteria that have to be met if an athlete or team is to qualify. The type of qualification may also vary between and within sports, with certain athletes achieving qualification for themselves (nominal) and others achieving a berth which allows the National Olympic Committee (NOC) to select their choice of athlete to fill it (slot).
Strict quota rules
For each sport there are also strict quota rules dictating how many athletes an NOC or NPC may enter per discipline and event.
After a qualification event or at the end of a qualification period, an IF/IPSF will confirm to the NOC/NPC if they have gained a place (whether it be nominal or slot) for the Games. NOCs/NPCs then have specific deadlines by which they need to confirm to the IF/IPSF if they wish to take this place. If they choose not to accept the place, a reallocation process will occur within defined guidelines set by the IF/IPSF.
Hopefully that’s given you an idea of what is involved in gaining qualification to London 2012. It's not as straightforward as I first thought!
Last week:
Wo
men’s Football: the CONCACAF Olympic Qualification tournament concluded on the 29 January with USA beating Canada 4-0 in the final. Both teams had already secured Olympic slots by reaching the final.
Handball: The men’s European Championship took place from January 15–29 in Serbia, with sixteen teams competing for one qualification slot for the Championship winners. Denmark won the final 21–19 over the hosts Serbia.
Taekwondo: the European Qualification Tournament was held in Kazan, Russia from January 27–29. The first three ranked athletes per weight division qualified their NOCs a place each for the Games.
Water Polo: The Asian Water Polo Championships for both men and women were held from 24–27 January in Chiba City, Japan with the winners gaining a slot for the Games. Kazakstan won the men’s competition and China the women’s.
Paralympic Equestrian: The qualification process for the Para-Equestrian Dressage competition, which began in November 2010, concluded on January 31. There were a total of 78 slots available. Full details of the NPCs who have qualified slots can be found on the FEI website
The week ahead...
Volleyball: The women’s African Olympic Qualification tournament is currently underway in Algeria, with four nations competing for a qualification slot. Teams from Algeria, Egypt, Kenya and Seychelles will battle it out for a place at the Games, with the tournament concluding on Sunday 5 February.
Canoe Slalom: The African Championships take place this weekend in Bethlehem, South Africa. There are qualification slots available for the winning NOC’s in Canoe Single (C1) men, and men’s and women’s Kayak (K1).
