FINA BL 9.3.6 Qualification for the 2012 London Olympic Games
How Athletes Qualify for London 2012 • IOC has established a quota for each sport for the 2012 Olympic Games. For swimming, that number is 900. • Past three Olympic Games have had 975‐980 athletes. • Challenge – how does FINA guarantee to the IOC that the number truly is 900?
London 2012 • Two sets of time standards will exist. • “A” and “B” terminology will no longer exist. • There will be “Olympic Qualifying Times” (OQTs) and “FINA/Olympic Invitation Times” (FOITs). • Olympic Qualifying Times will be more difficult and will be the equivalent of what was formerly known as the “A” standards. • For any and all times to be considered, they must be done in FINA‐approved competitions.
London 2012 • •
For a country to automatically qualify two athletes in an individual event, both athletes must have times equal to or faster than the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT). For a country to qualify one athlete in an individual event, that athlete must have done the following: – Have swum a time equal to or faster than the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT). OR – Have swum a time that is equal to or faster than the FINA/Olympic Invitation Time and receive an official invitation from FINA to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games. – Note: Simply making the FINA/Olympic Invitation Time does NOT qualify an athlete for the Olympic Games. He/she must be formally invited by FINA. This is a change from past Olympic Games.
London 2012 • Countries that have athletes with neither an Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT) or a FINA/Olympic Invitation Time (FOIT) will still be permitted to send one male and one female athlete to the Games (Universality). • By inviting those athletes with FOITs, FINA can more easily control the quota of 900 swimmers for the Olympic Games.
London 2012 • The qualification period for recording times from FINA‐approved competitions will begin on 1 March 2011. All rankings will be on www.fina.org. • The qualification period will close on the following dates: – For recording Olympic Qualifying Times: 3 July 2012. – For recording FOITs: 1 June 2012. – For Universality athletes: 1 June 2012.
London 2012 • Once all entries are submitted, FINA will go through and determine how many athletes have qualified through Olympic Qualifying Times, Universality and from relays. • That number will then be subtracted from 900. • The remaining athletes will be added to the meet from the list of those athletes who have a FINA/Olympic Invitation Time. • Athletes with a FOIT will be ranked and invited according to their score from the FINA Points Table (using the FINA Points Table from 1 January 2012). • Athletes with the highest point scores will be invited first, until the number of athletes in the Olympics reaches 900. • Invitation letters from FINA will go out shortly after 1 June.
London 2012 Schedule of Notification • 1 June 2012 – Qualification period ends for athletes with FINA/Olympic Invitation Times and countries sending athletes through Universality. • 2‐4 June 2012 – All athletes with FINA/Olympic Invitation Times are ranked according to FINA Points Table (from highest to lowest). • 5 June 2012 (or as soon as possible) – FINA sends official invitation letters electronically to all Member Federations with athletes with FINA/Olympic Invitation Times who have qualified for the Olympic Games. • 12 June 2012 (or as soon as possible) ‐ All Member Federations must indicate if the invited athletes will attend the 2012 Olympic Games.
London 2012 Key Facts • Athletes who have performed a FINA/Olympic Invitation Time will not know if they are invited to the 2012 Olympic Games until after 1 June 2012. • Federations with athletes with Olympic Qualifying Times (1 or 2 in each event), qualified relays or through Universality will automatically be accepted into the 2012 Olympic Games.