In March 2023, the selection criteria document was released by Singapore Aquatics (SAQ) with four qualifying pathways for the Paris Olympics.
1. The Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT) is set based on the 14th place timing at the previous Games. Any swimmer who makes this time automatically qualifies. Each event is limited to two per country.
2. The fastest 16 relay teams from the 2023 and 2024 World Championships automatically qualify the National Olympic Committee (NOC) for that relay. Note that it is the NOC that qualifies for the relay, and not the individual swimmers.
There can only be two relay-only swimmers out of the four. The other two swimmers must qualify for an individual event on their own merit. If there are more than two relay swimmers who have not qualified on their own merit, the NOC may apply for an exception to have more relay-only swimmers, at World Aquatics’ discretion.
3. NOCs without any qualified athlete or relay team may enter two athletes - one man and one woman in one event each. These are called universality places, and they encompass the value of Togetherness in the Olympic motto. Any NOC who has an athlete who makes the OQT may enter one universality athlete in the other gender.
4. The Olympic Consideration Time (OCT) is set at 0.5 per cent off the OQT. Any swimmer who makes this time will be considered for an invitation to compete if there are enough spaces within the quota.
The quota is determined by how many athletes the host country can accommodate. This year the quota for swimming is 852 as compared to the last Olympics where it was 878.
Making the OQT and being top two in the country is clear and straightforward. Where things aren’t so straightforward is points two to four because of the timing in which they are decided and the quota that they need to stay within.
Singapore’s women’s 4x100 medley relay made history by qualifying for the Paris Olympics, by coming in ninth fastest at the World Championships. However, out of the four swimmers, only one (Letitia Sim) had an OQT, and none of the other three received invitations to individual events via their OCTs. This meant that Singapore’s original quartet had more than the allowed number of relay-only swimmers and had to apply for an exception, which they did.
On Jul 3, World Aquatics granted the exception. SAQ and the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) then sent the invitation letter to the relay athletes to sign.
On Jul 5, Gan Ching Hwee was invited by World Aquatics via SAQ to compete in the 1,500m freestyle in Paris. In the invitation letter, World Aquatics stated that they prioritised the OCT, and that if Gan accepted that invitation, their exception for the third relay-only swimmer would be retracted.
Why couldn’t SAQ send both since they had already offered Quah the exception prior to Gan’s invitation? Because they needed to stay within the quota. So SAQ went back to their published selection criteria and made a decision based on that, without bias or influence.
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1. The Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT) is set based on the 14th place timing at the previous Games. Any swimmer who makes this time automatically qualifies. Each event is limited to two per country.
2. The fastest 16 relay teams from the 2023 and 2024 World Championships automatically qualify the National Olympic Committee (NOC) for that relay. Note that it is the NOC that qualifies for the relay, and not the individual swimmers.
There can only be two relay-only swimmers out of the four. The other two swimmers must qualify for an individual event on their own merit. If there are more than two relay swimmers who have not qualified on their own merit, the NOC may apply for an exception to have more relay-only swimmers, at World Aquatics’ discretion.
3. NOCs without any qualified athlete or relay team may enter two athletes - one man and one woman in one event each. These are called universality places, and they encompass the value of Togetherness in the Olympic motto. Any NOC who has an athlete who makes the OQT may enter one universality athlete in the other gender.
4. The Olympic Consideration Time (OCT) is set at 0.5 per cent off the OQT. Any swimmer who makes this time will be considered for an invitation to compete if there are enough spaces within the quota.
The quota is determined by how many athletes the host country can accommodate. This year the quota for swimming is 852 as compared to the last Olympics where it was 878.
Making the OQT and being top two in the country is clear and straightforward. Where things aren’t so straightforward is points two to four because of the timing in which they are decided and the quota that they need to stay within.
Singapore’s women’s 4x100 medley relay made history by qualifying for the Paris Olympics, by coming in ninth fastest at the World Championships. However, out of the four swimmers, only one (Letitia Sim) had an OQT, and none of the other three received invitations to individual events via their OCTs. This meant that Singapore’s original quartet had more than the allowed number of relay-only swimmers and had to apply for an exception, which they did.
On Jul 3, World Aquatics granted the exception. SAQ and the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) then sent the invitation letter to the relay athletes to sign.
On Jul 5, Gan Ching Hwee was invited by World Aquatics via SAQ to compete in the 1,500m freestyle in Paris. In the invitation letter, World Aquatics stated that they prioritised the OCT, and that if Gan accepted that invitation, their exception for the third relay-only swimmer would be retracted.
Why couldn’t SAQ send both since they had already offered Quah the exception prior to Gan’s invitation? Because they needed to stay within the quota. So SAQ went back to their published selection criteria and made a decision based on that, without bias or influence.
Continue reading...