Definition and purpose of Special Olympic Qualification Classification

Quota places are obtained by the NOCs through their National ISU Members, based on the SOQC per event/distance resulting from the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Competitions designated by the ISU to be held during the season 2025/2026 prior to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

SOQC for each event will be calculated according to criteria based on the ISU Rules for the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Championships, as published in the ISU Regulations and dedicated ISU Communications. Each SOQC will combine two (2) sets of rankings: 

For each gender and event/distance, the highest ranked SOQC positions will consist of a certain number of athletes/teams (counting only athletes inside the maximum NOC quota for the event/distance concerned) from the SOQCP and SOQCT as follows:

In case of a tie in the SOQCP, the ISU World Cup ranking rules, as outlined in the ISU World Cup 2025/2026 Communication, will be used to determine the higher ranked athlete. If a tie still exists, the better-ranked athlete in the SOQCT will determine the higher ranked athlete. If a tie still exists, the procedure in D.2.1 will determine which athlete's NOC is allocated the quota.

In case of a tie in the SOQCT, the better-ranked athlete in the SOQCP will determine the higher ranked athlete. If a tie still exists, the procedure in D.2.1 will determine which athlete's NOC is allocated the quota.

For the long distances (3000m and 5000m for Women, 5000m and 10000m for Men) the SOQCP will be based on the total of World Cup points achieved for both of the two distances, in accordance with ISU World Cup ranking rules. The SOQCT will be based on times achieved during the ISU World Cup Competitions in the distance concerned only.

Allocation of quota places to NOCs

The NOC quota places for each event/distance will be provisionally allocated according to the SOQC for that event/distance, based on results from designated ISU World Cup Competitions season 2025/2026.

For each event, quota places for each NOC will be allocated according to the position of athletes or team, up to the maximum NOC event quota as detalined in B.2, from the NOC concerned in the SOQC for the event.

If there is a tie in the SOQC determining the last quota place for an event/distance, this position will be decided by a random draw, done by the ISU Director General in the ISU Secretariat in the presence of an independent auditor.

Withdrawal of provisionally allocated event quota places

If the provisionally allocated event quota places confirmed by the NOCs indicate that the total maximum number of 164 quota places for Speed Skating will be exceeded, the maximum number of allocated quota places for individual events/distances will be reduced by deallocating the provisionally allocated quota from the NOC of the lowest ranked athlete. Provisionally allocated quotas will then be deallocated from each of the following events/distances according to the following order:

• 500m - Women, then 500m – Men;
• then 1000m – Men, then 1000m – Women;
• then 1500m -– Women, then 1500m – Men;
• then Mass Start Men, then Mass Start Women;

This process will be repeated until the total quota of 164 for the sport is met and may result in some NOCs losing provisionally allocated quota places for the event(s)/distance(s) concerned with possible effects on their overall quota. Once this process has been completed, the ISU will inform the NOCs affected by the deallocation procedure on their amended event and NOC quotas.

Reserve List

When the maximum total of quota places for an event/distance (as specified above) has been reached, the next SOQC positions (from the SOQCT ranking) per event/distance will constitute a reserve list of quota places.

For each of the individual events/distances the reserve list consists of eight (8) reserve quota places. For each of the Team Pursuit events the reserve list consists of four (4) reserve quota places.

Additional competitors for the 500 m, 1000m, 1500 m and Mass Start: Up to a maximum of 30 competitors, may be entered during Games time. Additional starting positions will then be made available to athletes who have already been entered in at least one (1) other distance/event. The allocation of these additional starting positions will be done according to the Reserve list for the respective event (as per D.2.3), with priority to NOCs without an already entered athlete for the event.

The Host Country NOC (CONI) is subjected to the same qualification procedure for allocation of quota places as other NOCs, as described in Section D. However, if the host country has athletes(s), or a team for the Team Pursuit event, places in the Reserve List (as per D.2.3) for an event, the host country will be allocated one (1) additional event quota place for the event concerned. Such a Host Country quota allocation will replace the otherwise last qualified quota place for the event concerned.

Following each qualification event, the ISU will publish the results, as well as the current qualification ranking lists (SOQC), on its website www.isu.org.

ISU will publish a list of provisionally allocated quota places and inform the respective NOCs. The NOCs will then have until 18 January 2026 to confirm if they wish to use these quota places, as detailed in paragraph G. Qualification Timeline.

If an allocated quota place is not confirmed the NOC by the deadline for confirmation of quota places, or is declined by the NOC, the quota place will be reallocated on the condition that the total quota of 164 athletes is not exceeded. The reallocation of quota places will be done according to the ranking order in the respective SOQC Reserve List as per D.2.3. Priority shall be given to NOCs that have not already been allocated a quota place for the event/distance concerned.

If all declined event quota places cannot be reallocated without exceeding the total athlete quota, the reallocation of quota places shall aim at levelling out the number of non-allocated quota places among the events. If this balance has been achieved, the final stage of reallocation will be done in the following order:

• 500m - Women, then 1000m – Women, then 1500m – Women, then Mass Start Women
• then 500m – Men, then 1000m – Men, then 1500m – Men, then Mass Start Men.

1 July 2025

ISU will announce qualifying times

1 July 2025 – 18 January 2026

Period to announce qualifying times

1 August 2025

ISU announces qualifying competitions (ISU World Cup Speed Skating Competitions) to determine the Special Olympic Qualifying Classifications (SOQC) and subsequently NOC quota places

1 November – 14 December 2025

ISU World Cup Speed Skating Competitions determining the OQC

ISU World Cup Speed Skating 14-16 November 2025, Salt Lake City (USA)

ISU World Cup Speed Skating 21-23 November, Calgary (CAN)

ISU World Cup Speed Skating 5-7 December, Heerenveen (NED)

ISU World Cup Speed Skating 12-14 December, Hamar (NOR)

19 December

Publication of SOQC

19 December 2025

ISU informs NOCs about provisionally allocated quota places based on the SOQC for the respective events/distances, and on the overall NOC quota (total number of athletes that may be entered for each NOC) based on the allocated quota places per event.

By 18 January 2026

NOCs to inform ISU about confirmation and/or rejection of quota places, both for event/distance and in total.

19-22 January 2026

ISU to inform NOCs with copy to NFs about any deallocation of quota places and related reduction of overall NOC quotas if the total Sport Quota of 164 athletes would be exceeded based on the provisional allocation of quota places.

ISU to inform NOCs regarding any reallocation of quota places that will have to be confirmed by the NOC within 24 hours. Lack of a NOC response to the ISU within the deadline will be considered as a rejection of the offered quota place.

23 January 2026

End of reallocation process

26 January 2026

Milano Cortina 2026 Sport Entries deadline

TBD*

Milano Cortina 2026 Delegation Registration Meetings

6 – 22 February 2026

Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026