Rio 2016 – Attention turns to national selection events and allocation

by Sail-World.com on 6 Apr 2016 The Trofeo Princesa Sofia finished this week, and with it came the end of Rio 2016 qualification. The final countries got their places with new names on the scene as well former Olympians doing the job for their nation and crossing the line in Palma de Mallorca to gain coveted country Olympic spots.

With only the Tripartite places left available for those who missed qualification, the attention can now turn to national selection events around the world for the athletes to ensure their place at the summer spectacular.

The World Sailing 2016 Olympic Qualification System prescribes that in the first round of qualification '50% of the entry quota in each event shall be qualified from those best-ranked NOCs in the corresponding events at the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships.'

Those places were determined at the 2014 ISAF World Sailing Championships in Santander, Spain, with the number of places varying per class.

The second set of qualifying is determined from the 2015 Class World Championship, with the number of places varying per class.

The third round of qualifying is determined from a series of Continental Qualification Events sanctioned by ISAF, to finish by 1 June 2016 at the latest. Again with the number of places varying per class.

The Tripartite places are similar to the old 'Wild Card'system of allocation and are restricted to inviting just two nations, who have not previously qualified in the Laser and Laser Radial classes (Mens and Womens Singlehanded events). To be eligible for these places a sailor must have participated in at least one of the three Qualifying Rounds and have appeared in an ISAF Ranking list.

The full selection criteria and numbers per event can be found by clicking here or for a more detailed document on the Tripartite places click here

All countries must confirm their take-up of their Qualification places by June 1, 2016 (just over two months before the start of the 2016 Olympic Regatta).

Countries who do not take up their allocated place in an event by June 1, 2016, will have that place reallocated to the next qualifier in the 2015 World Championships round, and then if the place remains unallocated to the next country from the 2014 qualification round.

On the basis that New Zealand will not take up their place earned in the 2014 RS:X World Championships (the prime nominee JP Tobin having fallen out with the NZ national authority, and taken a 2016 Olympic coaching contract with Brazil), then the place will be reallocated. JP Tobin finished 16th In the 2014 Worlds in Santander and was the 10th of 20 countries to qualify for the Rio Olympic Regatta.

Using the Reallocation formula, his place would likely to be offered to Belarus, whose young sailor (under 21) finished 69th in the 2014 Worlds in Santander, 40th in the 2015 Worlds in Oman, and 63rd in the 2016 Worlds in Israel.

For the Laser and Laser Radial classes there is a third process of place reallocation.

The full process for place reallocation can be found at the bottom of Page 4 of this document

The full unofficial list of countries who have qualified and competitors who have been nominated can be read by clicking here

Some of the country selection events use major events are coming up in the next few weeks with the 470 Europeans and 49er and 49erFX Europeans on the immediate horizon. A little further a field and you have the Sailing World Cup Hyeres and Weymouth and Portland fast approaching to hone skills and test sailors against stiff competition.

The final round of country selection in the Mens and Womens Singlehanded class (Laser and Laser Radial) will most likely take place in the 2016 Worlds in Mexico in April and May. The Men's Heavyweight singlehander (Finn) will have their final round of country selection in the Finn Gold Cup from may 5-13 in Italy.

Staying in Rio, qualification for the Paralympics finished a short while ago, but today the Paralympic Notice of Race has been released.