Tokyo 2020 Qualification Period Is Officially Closed

The Olympic qualification period for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games is officially closed, as of today. 

The individual qualification period was from March 1, 2019 to June 27, 2021.

Timelines for Individual and Relay Qualifications

  • Individual entries: March 1, 2019 to June 27, 2021.
  • Relay entries: March 1, 2019 to May 31, 2021 

 Originally, the qualification period was scheduled to end on June 29, 2020 but it was expanded after the coronavirus pandemic postponed the Olympic Games by one year.

Athletes had to qualify at FINA-approved events.

For relays, the top 12 teams from each Olympic relay in the prelims session of the 2019 World Championships were pre-selected. The next four fastest relays swam during the qualification period will be selected.

FINA clarified that if one of the top-12 teams from World Championships declines their spot, the next-fastest team during the selection period will go. If a top-12 team at the World Championships declines their spot, it’s not necessarily the 13th team from the World Championships that is selected.

You can read FINA’s full Olympic selection procedure here. The document lays out the athletes’ priorities of selection:

Priorities of Selection

1. All athletes with Olympic Qualifying Times (OQT / “A” Time)

2. Athletes in relays

3. Universality Places

4. Invited athletes who have achieved an Olympic Selection Time (OST / “B” time)

OQT’s vs OST’s

Olympic Qualifying Times, also referred to as FINA ‘A’ cuts, automatically qualify an athlete to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. National Olympic Committees (NOC’s) can enter two athletes in an event if they both have secured an OQT.

“Following the end of the qualification period and in the event that the quota of 878 athletes is not reached, FINA will assess the number of athletes having achieved the OQT / “A” Time, the number of Relay-Only Athletes and the number of Universality Places.,” FINA states.

“FINA will then invite athletes who have achieved an OST / “B” time, until the total quota of 878 athletes is reached. OST places will be distributed by event, according to the position on the FINA World Ranking of 27 th June 2021. NOCs can only enter one (1) athlete per event having achieved an OST / “B” Time.

“Athletes invited through OST/”B” Time are only allowed to compete in the events for which they received the quota place.”

Universality Places

Universality places are reserved for NOC’s  with no athletes who have achieved an OQT or OST time. These NOC’s can enter “a maximum of one (1) man and one (1) woman, provided that those athletes participated in the 18th FINA World Championships 2019 and/or are approved by FINA to compete,” FINA states.

“Because of the exceptional circumstances related to COVID-19 crisis, the consequent postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, and taking into account the unprecedented two-year period between the FINA World Championships Gwangju 2019 and the new date of the Games in 2021, NOC/NFs with no men or women with an “A” or “B” time standard will be allowed to enter their highest ranked men athlete or highest ranked women athlete in one individual event, based upon the FINA Points Table (2021 edition), through a performance in an approved FINA Olympic qualifying event (including the FINA World Championships Gwangju 2019); In consultation with FINA, an NOC/NF may enter the second highest ranked athlete for exceptional reasons, including retirement, medical injury, or doping violation of the first ranked athlete.

“NOCs with athletes having achieved an OQT / “A” Time or selected by FINA for an OST / “B” Time only in one (1) gender may also enter one (1) universality athlete in the other gender.

Athletes with having an OST / “B” Time achieved allocated to the Universality Places may be entered in up to two (2) individual events. Those athletes without an OST / “B” Time are limited to enter in one (1) individual event only. NOCs must submit their applications for Universality Places to FINA for approval by 20 th June 2021. FINA will confirm the Universality Places to NOCs by 1 st July 2021.”

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Shaheen
3 years ago

are countries who are granted universiality places released publicly or will be just be guessing until the psych sheets come out

Ol' Longhorn
3 years ago

Damn, missed the Olympics again.

Eric the Eel > Michael Phelps
3 years ago

Bye bye for Schooling? I don’t think he went sub 52 this year

Torchbearer
Reply to  Eric the Eel > Michael Phelps
3 years ago

Only in training…

Backstrokebro
Reply to  Eric the Eel > Michael Phelps
3 years ago

Was thinking about this. I haven’t seen any results from him since covid

GATOR CHOMP 🐊
Reply to  Backstrokebro
3 years ago

You should have seen the 2:07 200 fly and 1:08 100 breast

Justhereforfun
Reply to  Eric the Eel > Michael Phelps
3 years ago

For anyone wondering, he did go 51.8 back in December 2019 at the South East Asian Games, which is within the qualifying period so he’s in

Last edited 3 years ago by Justhereforfun
Right Dude Here
3 years ago

And how about Jake Mitchell in that time trial!!!

Lotsa that 3rd place heartbreak tho.

Jordanwins2golds
Reply to  Right Dude Here
3 years ago

special time trial, yo. we can all ever hope to be that blessed.

Olympian
3 years ago

Any “big names” out?? Besides Cody Miller I can think of Andri Govorov, anyone else?

Khachaturian
Reply to  Olympian
3 years ago

our dad nathan adrian

Jordanwins2golds
Reply to  Olympian
3 years ago

zane grothe

Eric the Eel > Michael Phelps
Reply to  Olympian
3 years ago

Mina Atherton, Nathan Adrian, Matt grevers, Amaury Leveaux, Tony Ervin, SUN YANG, Ippei Watanabe, Ye Shiwen (Im not sure), Luca Dotto, Filippo Magnini

Torchbearer
Reply to  Olympian
3 years ago

And a few close calls….Manuel, Horton….

HJones
Reply to  Olympian
3 years ago

Why no Govorov? Did he not get an A cut in the 50?

HJones
Reply to  Olympian
3 years ago

Li Zhuhao (50.9 flyer from China) also did not qualify. And I guess since Santo is doing the 100 fly in Tokyo, this means no Piero Codia (50.6 flyer from Italy).

leisurely1:29
Reply to  Olympian
3 years ago

Absolutely no mention of Lochte in this thread… brutal.

Eric the eel > Phelps
Reply to  leisurely1:29
3 years ago

oh sorry bro, lochte of course! legend!

DMSWIM
Reply to  Olympian
3 years ago

Leah Smith and Kathleen Baker were both 2016 individual medalists who did not qualify this year.

Torchbearer
3 years ago

Wow…so the FIVE year period from Rio to qualification cut-off ends…..only 3 years to Paris 2024!

Wave 1.5 Qualifier
3 years ago

Yeah this is a colossal disappointment for me. I’m just starting to hit my peak and have a summer swim league meet coming up this weekend. I am within tenths of a second in my 100m breast, 1500m free, 200m IM, and 100m back. My country is going to be livid. What do I tell the media?

Jackman
Reply to  Wave 1.5 Qualifier
3 years ago

any Uzbek relatives?

HJones
3 years ago

For anyone wondering, Santo will indeed be part of the Italy contingent going to Tokyo for the 100 fly and the 4*100 free relay.

Billy mays
Reply to  HJones
3 years ago

lets goooo. but damn, no 100 free? did he not get under the A cut

HJones
Reply to  Billy mays
3 years ago

He got under the A-cut in the 100 free, but he is only the 3rd fastest Italian in that event (Miressi and Ceccon have both been faster). Same situation in the 50 free.

Arthur S
Reply to  Billy mays
3 years ago

I think he was 3rd place so didn’t qualify.

Last edited 3 years ago by Arthur S

About Annika Johnson

Annika Johnson

Annika came into the sport competitively at age eight, following in the footsteps of her twin sister and older brother. The sibling rivalry was further fueled when all three began focusing on distance freestyle, forcing the family to buy two lap counters. Annika is a three-time Futures finalist in the 200 …

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