Further Paris 2024 qualifiers announced

Since our last update last month qualification procedures for five sports in the Paris 2024 Olympics have been revealed. Badminton, Canoe (Slalom and Sprint), Equestrian (Dressage, Eventing, and Jumping), Skateboarding, Sport Climbing (Boulder/Lead and Speed), and Weightlifting. Furthermore, one discipline in the sport of Cycling (Mountain bike) has also been revealed.

Badminton

Badminton retains its programme from Tokyo 2020, with a singles and doubles event for both genders, as well as a mixed doubles event. In singles, the top 35 athletes in the BWF 'Race to Paris Ranking List' of 30 April 2024 will qualify, with the following permutations: there can only be one athlete per NOC, or at most two if both are in the top 16. There must also be at least two athletes per continent. One place is given to the host country France, and the remaining two places are for universality. In doubles, the same BWF 'Race to Paris Ranking List' of 30 April 2024 is used for 16 pairs per event, with at most one per NOC, or at most two if both are in the top 8. If an athlete qualifies in both singles and doubles, this means that a further place is opened for the ranking list in singles. The lists are based on events between 2023 and 2024. The only change from last year is one universality place has been taken away and added to the ranking list.

Canoe Slalom

Canoe Slalom has received a boost from 2020 to 2024, with an Extreme Canoe Slalom event joining the Kayak and Canoe Single for both men and women. Someone who qualifies for one event can enter other events for their gender too, but at most one per NOC (two in Extreme Kayak). One athlete per NOC can qualify a place in each event, and each athlete can only qualify one quota place. 15 spots for Kayak and 12 for Canoe Single will be earned at the 2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships (Lee Valley, GBR, 19-24 Sep 2023). In Kayak and Canoe Single, one place for each of the five continents will be earned at Continental Qualification Tournaments (Dates and locations TBC, 2023) while one place in Kayak will go to the host nation. The three places per gender in Extreme Canoe Slalom will be at the Extreme Kayak Global Qualification Tournament (dates and locations TBC, 2024). The addition of Extreme Canoe Slalom notwithstanding, the system is largely the same as Tokyo 2020.

Canoe Sprint

The IOC giveth and the IOC taketh away: while Canoe Slalom gains two events, Canoe Sprint will lose two. For both genders, the Kayak Single 200m has disappeared. The other Kayak Single event (1,000m for Men and 500m for Women) has returned, as has a Kayak Double event (now 500m for both genders: it used to be 1,000m for Men), a Kayak Four 500m event, a Canoe Single event (1,000m for Men and 200m for Women), and a Canoe Double event (also now 500m for both genders instead of 1,000m for Men and 500m for Women). The quotas have also been reduced somewhat from 123 to 118 per gender.

The primary event for qualification will be the 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships (Duisburg, GER, 23-27 Aug 2023). 7 boats in Kayak Single and Canoe Double, 6 in Kayak Double and Canoe Single, and 4 in Kayak Four will be earned here. There will be one host country boat in Kayak Single and Canoe Single. In every event apart from Kayak Four places will be filled at the Continental Qualification Tournaments (dates and locations TBC), with two places per continent in each event, apart from Kayak Single and Canoe Single, where Africa and Oceania will get just one place. Finally, there are two universality places per gender in the entirety of Canoe Sport, these can be allocated by the ICF in either Slalom or Sprint. At most one boat per NOC can qualify per event, although two per NOC can enter an event.

Quote

“The dust has barely settled on what was an incredible Tokyo 2020, held in incredibly trying circumstances, and now we are already turning our focus to Paris in 2024. We have worked to make the qualifying path for the next Olympic Games as simple and as open as possible for our athletes, while making sure our image as a global sport is upheld. Our first international event for 2022 begins this month, and there will be a lot of excitement as everyone turns their minds to Paris. We wish all athletes all the best on this thrilling journey.”

ICF President Thomas Konietzko

The removal of the "World Cup 2" event is the biggest change from 2020. Interestingly, the document is now unavailable to access: it is listed on both the IOC and ICF site, but the file does not show up. Probably a technical gremlin, but there is a small chance this could have some meaning and the document had a mistake of some sort.

Equestrian Dressage

Dressage's programme is unchanged from 2020, with 60 athletes at open individual and team events. There are fifteen teams that qualify (at most one per NOC). One for the host country (France), the six highest ranked at the 2022 FEI Dressage World Championships (Herning, DEN, 6-10 Aug 2022), and the remaining nine at regional qualification events. For Groups A and B three places are earned at the 2023 FEI European Dressage Championship (Riesenbeck, GER, dates TBC), for Group C there will be a Group C 2023 Designated Olympic Qualification Event (date and location TBC) yielding one place, for Groups D and E two places are earned at the 2023 Pan American Games (Santiago, CHI, 26-29 Oct 2023), while for Group F one place is earned at the 2022 World Championships, and the same is true for Group G.

The teams are made up of three athletes, and each of the three also qualify for the individual event. The remaining fifteen places (most one per NOC) will be qualified like so: the two highest-ranked athletes in the FEI Olympic Ranking (date released tbc) in Groups A, B, C, F, and G will take the first ten spots, the top two individuals from Group D or E at the 2023 Pan American Games and the top two individuals from those groups at the FEI Olympic Ranking will take up the next four spots, and finally, the top-ranked athlete irrespective of Group will get the final place. This system is the same from Tokyo 2020.

Equestrian Eventing

Similar to Dressage, Eventing remains unchanged since 2020 with 65 athletes in open individual and team events. Sixteen teams qualify (at most one per NOC), including the host nation. Seven places are earned at the 2022 FEI Eventing World Championships (Pratoni del Vivaro, ITA, 14-18 Sep 2022). Two teams are earned for Group A and B at the 2023 FEI European Eventing Championships (Pin du Haras, FRA, 9-13 Aug 2023). One place is earned at a Group C 2023 Designated Olympic Qualification Event (date and location TBC), while the Pan American Games (Santiago, CHI, 26-29 Oct 2023) yields two places for Groups D and E. The top two ranked teams at a Group F and G Designated Olympic Qualification Event (date and location TBC), while the final spot is earned at the FEI Eventing Nations Cup 2023 (date and location TBC)

Again, the teams are made up of three teams, and each of the three also qualify for the individual event. The remaining seventeen places (at most two per NOC) through the FEI Olympic Ranking: two per group and then the highest three otherwise. This system has one more team than 2020.

Equestrian Jumping

Like the other Equestrian events, the Jumping programme is unchanged since 2020 with 75 athletes in open individual and team events. 20 teams qualify (at most one per NOC). There are twenty teams, including one for the host nation. Five places are earned at the 2022 FEI Jumping World Championships (Herning, DEN, 10-14 Aug 2022). The highest rated team at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final 2022 (Barcelona, ESP, 29 Sep-2 Oct 2022) get the next spot. The top three Group A and Group B teams at the 2023 FEI Jumping European Championship (Milano, ITA, September 2023, exact dates TBC) get spots, as do the top two at a Group C 2023 Designated Olympic Qualification Event (location and date TBC). The top three ranked Group D or E teams at the 2023 Pan American Games (Santiago, CHI, 26-29 Oct 2023) get a place, as do the top two teams at a Group F 2023 Designated Olympic Qualification Event (location and date TBC) and the highest two teams at a Group G 2023 Designated Olympic Qualification Event (location and date TBC). Finally, the highest ranked team at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final 2023 (date and location TBC) get a place.

The three team members gain a place in the individual event, with the remaining fifteen spots (at most one per NOC) are earned like this: the top two athletes in the FEI Olympic Ranking (publication date TBC) in Groups A, B, C, F, and G get the top ten spots, with the three highest athletes at the Pan American Games getting a spot as well as the highest ranked athlete from Groups D and E. Finally, the highest-ranked athlete irrespective of group yet to qualify gets the final place. The system is similar to that from Tokyo 2020.

Mountain Biking

Mountain Biking has received a small hit in 2024, with 36 athletes per gender (instead of 38) in the cross-country events. The top eight NOCs in the UCI Mountain Bike Olympic Qualification ranking (published 28 May 2024) will get two spots, and the next ten will get one, for a total of 26. Three spots will be earned at the 2023 Continental Championships (dates and locations TBC) with one spot each for Africa, America, and Asia. Finally, four spots (at most one per NOC) will be earned at the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships (Glasgow and Scotland, GBR, 3-13 August 2023). Finally, one spot per gender each will be given to the host spot and universality places. The most consequential change is that no country can have three places in an event.

Rowing

Rowing keeps its fourteen events from 2020 (Single Sculls, Pair, Double Sculls, Four, Quadruple Sculls, Eight, Lightweight Double Sculls in both genders) but there are now 251 instead of 263 places per gender. The primary qualification event will be the 2023 World Rowing Championships (Belgrade, SRB, 3-10 Sep 2023). This will qualify eleven athletes per gender in Pair and Double Sculls, nine per gender in Single Sculls, seven per gender in Four, Quadruple Sculls, and Lightweight Double Sculls, and five per gender in Eight. Places will be available at World Rowing Continental Regattas for the four continents (dates and locations TBC, Asia and Oceania count together). Five places are available for each continent except Europe (for whom three is available) for Single Sculls, and two places for each continent except Africa (for whom one is available) in Lightweight Double Sculls. Finally, two places per event can be earned at the World Rowing Final Olympic Qualification Regatta (Lucerne, SWI, dates TBC) in around May 2024. There is also one host place as well as two universality places per NOC. The changes from Tokyo 2020 are mostly minor, and the rule that each NOC has one boat per event is retained.

Skateboarding

Skateboarding returns with Park and Street events for both genders, and is upgraded from 40 to 44 athletes in each gender, or 22 per event. There are 3 spots per NOC at most per event. The top 20 athletes in each event, including one per continent, in the Olympic Skateboarding Rankings of 24 June 2024 will win a spot, with the remaining places going to the host and one for universality. This is a change from 2020 where places were earned at the World Championships.

Sport Climbing (Boulder/Lead)

While in 2020 there was one Sport Climbing event per gender for all three disciplines combined: boulder, lead, and speed, but now speed is its own event with a combined boulder and lead event remaining. Overall, there are now 34 sport climbers per gender, up from 20. There are 20 places in the combined Boulder/Lead event, at most two per NOC. Three athletes per gender (at most one per NOC) can earn a spot at the IFSC Climbing World Championships (Bern, SUI, 1-12 Aug 2023). Five more spots per gender  are earned at the IFSC Continental Qualifiers (dates and locations TBC), including the Pan American Games (Santiago, CHI, 20 Oct-5 Nov 2023), with the winner of each continental event that will be held in the last four months of 2023 gaining a spot. Finally, an Olympic Qualifier Series will take place in 2024, yielding ten spots per gender. The final places will be for the host country and the universality place. The system is similar to that from Tokyo 2020.

Sport Climbing (Speed)

In these events, there are fourteen places per gender (at most two per NOC). 2 spots per gender (at most one per NOC) will be earned at the IFSC Climbing World Championships (Bern, SUI, 1-12 Aug 2023). Five spots are earned per gender at the IFSC Continental Qualifiers (dates and locations TBC), including the Pan American Games (Santiago, CHI, 20 Oct-5 Nov 2023), with the winner of each continental event that will be held in the last four months of 2023 gaining a spot. Finally, an Olympic Qualifier Series will take place in 2024, yielding five spots per gender. There is also one place each for the host country and the universality place.

Weightlifting

Weightlifting has been downsized significantly from 2020 to 2024, with 98 athletes per gender in seven weight classes now being sixty per gender in five: for men, 61, 73, 89, 102, and +102kg; and for women, 49, 59, 71, 81, and +81kg. This is twelve athletes per event, one per NOC, and at most three athletes per NOC per gender. The top ten athletes in the IWF Olympic Qualification Ranking (OQR) will qualify a place, as will one athlete per event by Continental representation: one athlete per gender in each of the five continents: so an African in one event, an Asian in another and so on. The ranking is published on 28 April 2024. Finally, the remaining place will be either the host country (in two events per gender) or the universality place (in three). This system is similar to that from Tokyo 2020.

There are still qualification procedures to be released for Aquatics, Athletics, Football, Sailing, Surfing, Table Tennis, and Tennis, as well as the rest of Cycling: so 8 sports in total.

Patrick Green

Writer, Totallympics News