Kuala Lumpur: The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has announced the 2004 Paris Olympic qualification criteria a.k.a ‘Race to Paris’, will start on May 1st, 2023.
The qualification will run until April 28, 2024, with the Race to Paris ranking lists as of April 30, 2024, used to determine the initial list of qualifiers.
The world badminton governing body has also confirmed that the total quota for badminton remains at 172 places (86 men and 86 women), which includes two host country places and four universality places in addition to the regular quota places of 166.
Each country has a maximum quota of eight places each for men and women.
“There is a total of 35 quota places, one host country place, and two universality places. The universality places will be confirmed by the Tripartite Commission after the end of the qualification period,” said BWF.
“Each singles discipline must also have at least two athletes from each of the five continental confederations, provided the player is ranked within the top 250,” added BWF.
Nations could only enter a maximum of two players each in the men’s and women’s singles if both are ranked in the world’s top 16 of the Race to Paris rankings; Similar regulations in the singles tournaments also apply to the players competing in the doubles, as each country could only enter a maximum of two pairs if both are ranked in the top eight of the Race to Paris rankings.
