Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Qualification

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For the swimming competitions at the 2008 Olympics the following qualification systems were in place.

Contents

Pool: Individual Events

A National Olympic Committee (NOC) may enter up to 2 qualified athletes in each individual event if both meet the A standard, or 1 athlete per event if they meet the B standard. An NOC may also enter a maximum of 1 qualified relay team per event. NOCs may enter swimmers regardless of time (1 per gender) if they have no swimmers meeting qualifying B standard.

The qualifying time standards were required to be obtained in Continental Championships, National Olympic Trials or International Competitions approved by FINA in the period March 15, 2007 to July 15, 2008.

FINA Qualifying Standards are as follows: [1]

Men's EventsWomen's Events
EventMen's AMen's BEventWomen's AWomen's B
Men's 50 metre freestyle 22.3523.13 Women's 50 metre freestyle 25.4326.32
Men's 100 metre freestyle 49.2350.95 Women's 100 metre freestyle 55.2457.17
Men's 200 metre freestyle 1:48.721:52.53 Women's 200 metre freestyle 1:59.302:03.50
Men's 400 metre freestyle 3:49.953:58.00 Women's 400 metre freestyle 4:11.264:20.05
--- Women's 800 metre freestyle 8:36.008:54.04
Men's 1500 metre freestyle 15:13.1615:45.12---
Men's 100 metre backstroke 55.1457.07 Women's 100 metre backstroke 1:01.701:03.86
Men's 200 metre backstroke 1:59.722:03.90 Women's 200 metre backstroke 2:12.732:17.40
Men's 100 metre breaststroke 1:01.571:03.72 Women's 100 metre breaststroke 1:09.001:11.43
Men's 200 metre breaststroke 2:13.702:18.37 Women's 200 metre breaststroke 2:28.202:33.40
Men's 100 metre butterfly 52.8654.70 Women's 100 metre butterfly 59.351:01.43
Men's 200 metre butterfly 1:57.672:01.80 Women's 200 metre butterfly 2:10.842:15.42
Men's 200 metre individual medley 2:01.402:05.65 Women's 200 metre individual medley 2:15.272:20.00
Men's 400 metre individual medley 4:18.404:27.45 Women's 400 metre individual medley 4:45.104:55.06

Pool: Relays

The 2008 Olympics relay field consisted of 16 teams per event. These spots were allocated to:

Men's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay

CompetitionQualifiers (16)
2007
World Championships
[2]
(12)
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Civil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland Flag of the United States.svg  United States
World Ranking
(4)
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand Flag of Russia.svg  Russia

Men's 4 × 200 m freestyle relay

CompetitionQualifiers (16)
2007
World Championships
[3]
(12)
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain Flag of Greece.svg  Greece Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Flag of Poland.svg  Poland Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Flag of the United States.svg  United States
World Ranking
(4)
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary

Men's 4 × 100 m medley relay

CompetitionQualifiers (16)
2007
World Championships
[4]
(12)
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia Flag of Belarus (1995-2012).svg  Belarus Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil

Flag of France.svg  France

Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa

Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine

World Ranking
(4)
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Civil ensign of Croatia.svg  Croatia Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Flag of the United States.svg  United States

Women's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay

CompetitionQualifiers (16)
2007
World Championships
[5]
(12)
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia Flag of Belarus (1995-2012).svg  Belarus Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China
Flag of France.svg  France Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine Flag of the United States.svg  United States
World Ranking
(4)
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil Flag of Finland.svg  Finland Flag of Japan.svg  Japan

Women's 4 × 200 m freestyle relay

CompetitionQualifiers (16)
2007
World Championships
[6]
(12)
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Flag of the United States.svg  United States
World Ranking
(4)
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Flag of Poland.svg  Poland

Women's 4 × 100 m medley relay

CompetitionQualifiers (16)
2007
World Championships
[7]
(12)
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine Flag of the United States.svg  United States
World Ranking
(4)
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa Flag of Spain.svg  Spain

Open Water: Marathon

The 2008 Olympics mark the debut of an "open water" swimming even at the Olympics; for which a male and female 10-kilometer race was held at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park.

A nation could qualify up to two marathon swimmers per event, but only 25 swimmers competed in both the men's and women's 10-kilometer races. [8] Those 25 spots were allocated/awarded as follows:

Men's 10 km

EventLocationDateVacanciesQualified
2008 Open Water
World Championships
[9]
Flag of Spain.svg Seville May 3–4, 200810 Flag of Russia.svg Vladimir Dyatchin
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg David Davies
Flag of Germany.svg Thomas Lurz
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Maarten van der Weijden
Flag of Russia.svg Evgeny Drattsev
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ky Hurst
Flag of the United States.svg Mark Warkentin
Flag of Italy.svg Valerio Cleri
Flag of Greece.svg Spyridon Gianniotis
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Brian Ryckeman
Continental
Representation*
5**
Flag of France.svg Gilles Rondy
Flag of Mexico.svg Luis Escobar
Flag of Egypt.svg Mohamed El Zanaty
Flag of Syria (2025-).svg Saleh Mohammad
Host Nation= 1 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Xin Tong
Olympic Marathon Swim
Qualifier [10]
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Beijing May 31 - Jun 1, 20089 Flag of Bulgaria.svg Petar Stoychev
Flag of Hungary.svg Csaba Gercsák
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Rostislav Vitek
Flag of South Africa.svg Chad Ho
Flag of Venezuela.svg Erwin Maldonado
Flag of Brazil.svg Allan do Carmo
Flag of Argentina.svg Damián Blaum
Flag of Spain.svg Francisco Jose Hervas
Flag of Portugal (official).svg Arseniy Lavrentyev**
TOTAL25

* The first eligible finisher from each of the five Continents at the 2008 Open Water World Championship.
** Since Australia was the only Oceanian country at the 2008 OW WC and the country had a qualifier in the top-10, Oceania did not receive any continental berth and the place redistributed to the Olympic Marathon Swim Qualifier for allocation.

Women's 10 km

EventLocationDateVacanciesQualified
2008 Open Water Swimming
World Championships
[ usurped ]
Flag of Spain.svg Seville May 3–4, 200810 Flag of Russia.svg Larisa Ilchenko
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Cassandra Patten
Flag of Spain.svg Yurema Requena
Flag of South Africa.svg Natalie du Toit
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Jana Pechanová
Flag of Brazil.svg Poliana Okimoto
Flag of Germany.svg Angela Maurer
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Keri Anne Payne
Flag of France.svg Aurélie Muller
Flag of Brazil.svg Ana Marcela Cunha
Continental
Representation*
5**
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Edith van Dijk
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Fang Yanqiao***
Flag of Venezuela.svg Andreina Pinto
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melissa Gorman
Host Nation= 1***
Olympic Marathon Swim
Qualifier
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Beijing May 31 - Jun 1, 20089 Flag of the United States.svg Chloe Sutton
Flag of Italy.svg Martina Grimaldi
Flag of Greece.svg Marianna Lymperta
Flag of Ukraine.svg Nataliya Samorodina
Flag of Chile.svg Kristel Köbrich
Flag of Mexico.svg Imelda Martinez
Flag of Sweden.svg Eva Berglund
Flag of Slovenia.svg Teja Zupan
Flag of Argentina.svg Antonella Bogarin**
Flag of Portugal (official).svg Daniela Inacio***
TOTAL25

* The first eligible finisher from each of the five continents at the 2008 Open Water World Championships. Basically the top finisher from each continent that was outside the top-10 finishers, and from a country who did not have a finisher in the top-10.
**Because South Africa was the only African country at the championships and they had Natalie du Toit qualify for the Olympics via her top-10 finish at the 2008 Open Water World Championships, the Africa continental berth was not allocated to the other South African entrant in the race. The entry allocation instead was added to those available for awarding at the Olympic Marathon Swim Qualifier.
***The Host Nation allocated entry was only if China did not have someone qualify in another fashion. China's Fang Yanqiao qualified at the 2008 Open Water World Championships via the Asia Continental Representative allocation, and therefore the Host Nation allocated spot became available at the Olympic Marathon Swim Qualifier.
****The Olympic committee of Israel did not approve the participation of Daniel Katzir (men) and Olga Berenseva (women) in the Olympic team, as their results were not good enough to make the national Olympic criteria. Their appeals to court against this decision were denied.

References

  1. "Olympic Qualifying Procedures for Swimming" (PDF). FINA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-03-04. Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  2. "FINA World Championships Men's 4x100 m Freestyle Qualification Results" (PDF). FINA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  3. "FINA World Championships Men's 4x200 m Freestyle Qualification Results" (PDF). FINA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-20. Retrieved 2007-03-30.
  4. "FINA World Championships Men's 4x100 m Medley Qualification Results" (PDF). FINA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-04-06. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
  5. "FINA World Championships Women's 4x100 m Freestyle Qualification Results" (PDF). FINA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  6. "FINA World Championships Women's 4x200 m Freestyle Qualification Results" (PDF). FINA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-04-09. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
  7. "FINA World Championships Women's 4x100 m Medley Qualification Results" (PDF). FINA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-04-06. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
  8. "Olympic Swimming Qualifying Procedures". FINA. Archived from the original on December 9, 2012. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  9. Men's 10K results [ usurped ] from the 2008 Open Water Worlds.
  10. Event page Archived 2009-02-12 at the Wayback Machine from the Open Water "Good Luck Beijing" test-event for the 2008 Olympics.