World Aquatics announced Thursday updated qualification procedures for four of the five aquatic disciplines that will be contested at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, including a change that will potentially impact the swimmers that opt to compete at the World Championships in Doha earlier that same year.
The initial criteria for relay qualification in Paris stated that the top three countries in each relay at the 2023 World Championship in Fukuoka, Japan, would qualify for the corresponding event at the Olympics. The remaining 13 spots in each event would then be decided at the 2024 World Championships in Doha, an event that has received criticism from several athletes and some have openly said they won’t be attending.
However, World Aquatics’ most recent update says that the remaining 13 spots in each relay will now qualify for Paris 2024 through both the 2023 Worlds in Fukuoka and the 2024 Worlds in Doha. The presumption is that the results from both meets will be combined, and the top 13 teams that haven’t already booked their ticket in the event will qualify for Paris, with finals swims getting priority.
The ramifications of this change could be significant, as initially, national federations would need to field a team strong and deep enough in Doha to ensure they could qualify in the relays they missed out on in Fukuoka. Now, countries can put up times at the 2023 Worlds and qualify for Paris, not needing to necessarily push for top athletes to compete in Doha if they don’t want to.
The World Championships in Doha are scheduled for Feb. 2-18, 2024, ending some 159 days before the Paris Olympics. That tight turnaround is the primary reason why athletes, including Great Britain’s James Guy, have said they won’t be attending. The timing also directly clashes with the postseason in the NCAA.
The other noteworthy update stemming from World Aquatics’ announcement Thursday is that men will be eligible to compete in the artistic swimming team event at the Olympics for the first time in Paris.
I have not read the press release by FINA, but I take it as it is possible for a relay team to finish 16th at the 2023 WC and earn a relay spot at the 2024 Olympics
Sensible move given there must’ve been sufficient pushback to “Doha or bust”.
Will be interesting to see how the whole relays picture plays out (with an assumption that RUS will remain “out”. With regards to who ensure qualification in Fukuoka:
I think the key question with these relays is what will be the cut-off point as regards Fukuoka results at which teams will… Read more »
For US and AUS, they will have all relays put to bed in Fukuoka (even if they just miss Top 3 in a couple)…..
The only way Australia misses qualifying any relays in Fukuoka is if they DQ or have a pretty major misfire.
If you are talking “automatic qualification” then it’s probably only the 3 female relays that are in the “barring their own muckup” league.
Both male FS relays and MMR are strong medal contenders but not the “secure bets” of the female relays. Would agree its exceedingly likely that these 3 relays WILL, effectively if not officially, be secure by finishing top 5 at worst in Fukuoka.
Hopefully Cooper can translate his stellar SC to the big pool and render the black comedy of Larkin’s outings past history but at this point, the weakness of the front half of M4XMED has made it reliant on Chalmers in order to ensure a finals lane. They SHOULD lock down a secure qualification… Read more »
Australia fielding a weak prelim team and not making the final is nightmare scenario that you’d hope the coaches will be cautious enough to avoid given the circumstances but I guess you never know with the obvious mistakes they’ve made over the last couple of years trying to “spread the medals”.
Hhmm, whilst there may’ve been a little “spread the medals” with the W4X200 in Tokyo; locking themselves into a top 4 finishers at Trials =finals lineups and questionable order placements were probably greater factors.
The reality is that almost all of AUS peak relay assets (bar Chalmers) are likely to have multiple individual events – most being 3 rounders. Ideally, you need to try to relieve them from heats swims but the depth is not always present or the “margin of error” too slim to risk (ie Chalmers & M4XMED).
If anything, its USA that has been bitten most by ‘sharing them around’ in recent times, particularly with MMR, and GBR by being too cute with heat selections (M4X100 Tokyo/W4XMED).… Read more »
Yes, this is not an Australian problem, all the top nations make this mistake every few years.
Can they just get rid of the doha world champs pls
Indeed, its main purpose seemed to be for relay qualification, now that reason to exist has gone.
too much money involved for FINA (World Aquatics) to cancel it.
Meanwhile when that event shows up the focus per norm will be on the swimmers who are there, not the ones who aren’t there, and the finals threads here will contain 200+ comments, per norm.
Correct Decision. Love the use of the GB team in the photo as well as they will be one of the primary counties to benefit from this!!!
All countries will benefit. This gives countries who get DQ’d a chance at redemption it’ll give the best athletes more time to get ready for the Olympics and decrease stress for a lot of swimmers and coaches.
Yes, it will favour the likes of GBR who will, most likely, target specific relays rather than field a complete slate. Their M4X200/4XMED/MMR are medal contenders and even if they fall short; are unlikely to finish worse than 5th. M4X100 are “probable” finalists. Questionable they will look to field ALL female relays (esp W4X200) but W4X100 are likely qualifiers. W4XMED should ….. but have misfired at the past 2 “majors” so may be the one who may be in Doha danger.
I think GB are a serious gold medal threat in the men’s 400 free relay
Not quite so sure about gold… yet; but certainly very real medal factors …….. but so are USA/ITA/AUS. The potential is certainly there to be major players but as yet, they haven’t put the runs on the board that the other male relays & MMR have.
The reality of the past few World plus Tokyo has been that the M4X100 heats have been “cut-throat” and little margin for error with regards to making the final.