With Beijing 2022 barely a memory (today is the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games), February 2022’s IOC meetings have seen the agreements of several things, among them the provisional qualification systems. Hopefully they are published soon, but for now, we have one qualification timetable released.
The FEI, the governing body for equestrian, have released their provisional qualification system, which is “subject to approval from the IOC”. It has a big watermark of PROPOSAL written all over it, so this is not official, but it is interesting.
Of course, equestrian is the only open sport (apart from the doubles in luge), with individual and team events in dressage, eventing, and jumping. The boycott in Moscow 1980 was the last time we didn’t qualify for every event anyway, so this is quite academic. Still, it’s nice to see preparation for Paris 2024 apace.
In the Team Jumping, there will be 20 places, given like this:
1 – Host Country (France)
5 – The top 5 countries (except France) at the 2022 FEI Jumping World Championships
1 – The top team not already qualified at the 2022 FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final
The next twelve spots are offered on a geographic basis, with Great Britain in Group A (North-Western Europe):
3 – The top teams from Groups A and B not already qualified at the 2023 FEI Jumping European Championship
9 – Other continental events (A designated event for Groups C, F, and G that is TBC as well as the Pan American Games)
1 – The best ranked team that is not already qualified at the 2023 FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final
The twenty nations qualified will also earn the maximum three sports qualified for their NOC in the individual event. The final fifteen places in will be for the Olympic ranking: the top two per group and then the best remaining NOC, with one per NOC.
In the Team Dressage, the principle is the same, although there are only 15 teams. These places are allocated as follows:
1 – The host (France)
6 – The top 6 countries (except France) at the 2022 FEI Dressage World Championships
Again, the next nine spots are on a regional basis as follows:
3 – The best ranked countries in Group A and Group B at the 2023 FEI Dressage European Championships
6 – Events for the other regions, including the Pan American Games
The qualification for the individual event is the same as the jumping.
Finally, the team eventing will have sixteen spots:
1 – Host nation (France)
7 – The best teams apart from France at the 2022 FEI Eventing World Championships
The next seven spots are on a regional basis:
2 – The best teams not already qualified at the 2023 FEI European Eventing Championships from Groups A and Group B
5 – Designated events for other groups, such as the Pan-American Games
1 – The best team at the FEI Eventing Nations Cup Series 2023 not already qualified.
There are seventeen further spots in the individual event, two per region and then three for those not already qualified.
This is all up for proposal, but it seems the events we should look out for are the 2022 World Championships:
Jumping – 6-14 August 2022 (Herning, Denmark)
Dressage – 6-14 August 2022 (Herning, Denmark)
Eventing – 14-18 September 2022 (Pratoni, Italy)
If GB do not qualify a full team there, only then should be bring our attention to other events.
GB Games 