Archery Olympics: Qualifying For The Games

Qualifying for the Olympic Games in archery is a complex process. There are 128 qualifying places available for archery: 64 for men and 64 for women. Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) can enter a maximum of six competitors, three per gender. The qualification process involves a hierarchy of events, with the top athletes and teams earning quota places for their NOCs. The qualification standards are set by World Archery and released well in advance of the Games. The process typically begins with the World Archery Championships, followed by continental games, continental championships, and final qualification tournaments. To be eligible, archers must achieve a minimum qualification score (MQS) in a specified time frame before the Olympics. The specific requirements and events for qualification can vary between different Olympic Games.

Qualification standards

The qualification process for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics began with the mixed team and individual results from the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games. The top-ranked mixed team and top three individuals won places for their countries, although these places were not officially allocated until after the World Championships.

The World Championships are the highest-priority qualification event for archery. The top eight teams win places for their respective countries, and the top four individuals from nations not already qualified with a team also qualify. In addition, the World Championships hold ranking brackets to determine the placing of individuals who are not part of the eight best teams. These individuals can qualify for the Olympics if they place in the top four.

Following the World Championships, the next highest-priority events are the continental games. At the Pan American, European, African, and Pacific Games, the top-ranked mixed team and top individual that are not already qualified by another method win places for their countries. For the mixed team events at continental games, the winning team earns one Olympic quota place per gender.

The final stage of qualification is the continental championships. Each continent holds continental qualification tournaments, with a specified number of quota places available per continent. A Final Individual Qualification Tournament is held at the end of the qualification period, with one quota place available through that tournament, supplemented by any quotas returned from other events.

To be eligible to participate in the Olympic Games, archers must achieve a minimum qualification score (MQS). For the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the MQS for men was a score of 640 in the 70m round, and for women, it was a score of 605 in the 70m round.

Qualifying rounds

The qualifying rounds for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games began on the morning of the opening ceremony. All 128 archers (64 men and 64 women) shot 72 arrows each at a target set 70 metres away, in 12 ends (series) of six arrows. The round took about two hours to complete.

The archers then totalled their points scores, with a maximum of 720 points available, and were ranked from highest to lowest. The ranking from the qualifying round became the seed for matchplay. The top 16 qualifiers in the mixed team event advanced to matchplay.

The qualification process for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games was slightly different from previous years. The process officially started at the 2019 World Archery Championships and ended with the final qualifying tournament, held just weeks before the Olympics. However, for Tokyo 2020, qualification practically began earlier, with the mixed team and individual results from the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games.

The hierarchy of events for qualification was as follows:

• World Championships
• Continental games
• Continental championships
• Final qualification tournaments

The top eight teams in the team event at the World Championships qualified for the Olympics. The top four individuals from nations not already qualified with a team also won places.

The final quota places for the Tokyo Olympics in Archery were decided in Paris before the start of the World Cup Stage 3. With more than 70 countries vying for the 24 slots available, the competition was intense.

Minimum qualification scores

To qualify for the Olympic Games in archery, athletes must meet certain minimum qualification scores (MQS). These scores must be achieved in the period leading up to the Games, typically during a specified timeframe before the final entry at a registered World Archery event.

For the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the MQS for men was set at 640 out of a possible 720 points in the 70m round. Similarly, the MQS for women was established at 605 points in the same round. These scores represent the minimum performance level required to fill a quota place for the Olympic Games.

The qualification process for archery at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics began with the mixed team and individual results from the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games. It then continued through various international events, including the World Archery Championships, continental games, and continental championships. The final qualification tournament was scheduled to be held separately during the summer of 2021, leading up to the Olympic Games.

The Indian women's recurve archery team, for example, had their last chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics during the final qualification event in Paris from June 19 to 21, 2021. To secure their spot, they needed to finish in the top three during the women's qualification round.

The qualification process for archery in the Olympics is intricate, with specific rules and eligibility criteria. Archers must not only meet the minimum qualification scores but also compete through multiple stages to earn a place in the Olympic Games.

Qualifying events

Qualifying for the Olympic Games is no easy feat, and archery is no exception. The qualification process for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Archery events began with the mixed team and individual results from the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games. The process officially started at the 2019 World Archery Championships and ended with the final qualifying tournament, held just weeks before the Olympics.

The hierarchy of qualifying events is as follows:

• World Championships
• Continental Games
• Continental Championships
• Final Qualification Tournaments

The number of spots available for athletes varies across these events. For instance, the 2019 World Archery Championships offered 28 places (eight teams and four individuals), while the Continental Games offered eight places (five mixed team spots and the top individuals in Asia, Europe, and the Americas).

The Continental Games, held in the summer of 2019, allowed the top-ranked mixed team and top individual from each continent that had not already qualified by another method to secure places for their country. The African and Pacific Games offered spots only for the top-ranked mixed teams that had not yet qualified.

The Continental events, held from the summer of 2019 to the spring of 2020, were exclusive to countries without any quota places. The number of spots available differed by continent.

The Final Qualification Tournament, held in the summer of 2021, was open only to nations without any quotas. The top three teams and top-ranked individuals (initially one spot, supplemented by returned quotas) secured places for their countries.

Final qualification tournaments

The final qualification tournaments are the last chance for archers to qualify for the Olympic Games. Only nations that don't already have quotas are able to compete in these final qualification tournaments.

For the team tournament, the top three teams (or four if the host nation has not yet qualified) will qualify. Any individual quotas that a qualifying team already possessed are returned. For the individual tournament, the top-ranked individuals without a team or individual quota will qualify. There is initially a single individual quota spot available, but this is supplemented by any quotas returned throughout the qualification process.

The final qualification tournament for Tokyo 2020 was held in Paris, France, from 19-21 June 2021, just before the World Cup Stage 3. More than 70 countries were in contention for the 24 slots available.

Frequently asked questions