Bobsleigh at the 2014 Winter Olympics – Qualification

The following is about the qualification rules and the quota allocation for the bobsleigh at the 2014 Winter Olympics.[1]

Qualification Rules edit

A maximum of 170 quota spots are available to athletes to compete at the games. A maximum 130 men and 40 women may qualify. The qualification is based on the world rankings of January 20, 2014. Pilots must compete in five different races on three different tracks during the 2012/13 season or 2013/14 season. Men pilots must be in the top 50 of the world rankings, while women need to be in the top 40. Each continent (Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania) and the hosts are allowed to enter a sled provided they meet the above standard. For each men's event 30 sleds will be allowed to compete (maximum of three NOCs with three sleds and six NOCs with two sleds). For the women's event there will be a total of 20 sleds allowed to compete (maximum of two NOCs with three sleds, four NOCs with two sleds).

Qualification timeline edit

Races from October 1, 2013 until January 19 will apply to qualification for the Olympics. In general this means that the Olympic field is established by using the first seven world cup races of the 2013-14 season, but also includes results from intercontinental, Europe, and America cup races. Four sleds will then be allocated in both men's categories, and three in the women's, to either host or continental representation. Unused or reallocated spots will be filled by January 27, 2014.

Quota allocation edit

The following summary is not indicative of assurance of Olympic qualification, but of how the allocations would be represented based on the current FIBT rankings.

Current summary edit

Nations Two-man Four-man Two-woman Athletes
  Australia 1 1 1 6
  Austria 1 1 1 6
  Belgium 1 2
  Brazil 1 1 6
  Canada 3 3 2 16
  Czech Republic 1 1 4
  France 1 2 8
  Germany 3 3 3 18
  Great Britain 1 2 1 8
  Italy 1 1 1 4
  Jamaica 1 2
  Japan 1 1 4
  Latvia 2 2 8
  Monaco 1 2
  Netherlands 2 1 1 1 6
  Poland 1 1 4
  Romania 1 1 1 8
  Russia 2 3 2 16
  Serbia 1 2
  Slovakia 1 1 4
  South Korea 2 2 1 10
  Switzerland 2 2 1 2 9
  United States 3 2 3 16
Total: 23 NOCs 30 30 20 169
  • Most countries have athletes that crossover between the two-men and four-men events. Romania and the United States are the only two countries which have some turnover between the two-men and four-man teams.

Two man edit

Final ranking by nation (as of January 18, 2013).[2]

Sleds qualified Athletes total Rank of applicable sled
3 18   United States 6
  Canada 11
  Germany 12
2 18   Russia 13
  Latvia 14
  Switzerland 15
  South Korea 22
  Netherlands 291
1 24   Italy 19
  France 20
  Netherlands 21
  Monaco 23
  Austria 24
  Romania 26
  Japan 27
  Great Britain 28
  Australia 322
  Poland 35
  Jamaica 39
  Serbia 41
  Slovakia 48
  Czech Republic 523
30 60 19
  1. ^ Netherlands qualified two sleds, but elected to send only one.
  2. ^ The final four sleds are given to fulfill continental representation (Australia), and then to the top nations not previously qualified (Poland, Jamaica, Serbia).
  3. ^ Czech Republic received the unused quota spot from the Netherlands. Slovakia was ranked higher, but also declined the spot.

Four man edit

Final ranking by nation (as of January 19, 2014).[2]

Sleds qualified Athletes total Rank of applicable sled
3 36   Germany 8
  Canada 10
  Russia 13
2 40   United States 14
  Latvia 15
  Great Britain 20
  Switzerland 271
  South Korea 44
  France 46
1 44   Switzerland 11
  Netherlands 16
  Italy 17
  Japan 23
  Czech Republic 24
  Australia 30
  Romania 32
  Austria 35
  Brazil 362
  Poland 37
  Slovakia 383
30 120
  1. ^ Switzerland rejected one of its two qualified sleds.
  2. ^ The final four sleds (Brazil, Poland, Slovakia, Serbia) are allocated at the end to the top nations not previously qualified.
  3. ^ Slovakia received the unused quota spot from Switzerland.

Two women edit

Final ranking by nation (as of January 19, 2014).[2]

Sleds qualified Athletes total Rank of applicable sled
3 12   Germany 6
  United States 7
2 12   Switzerland 12
  Canada 14
  Russia 18
1 16   Belgium 9
  Netherlands 11
  Great Britain 13
  Australia 19
  Austria 20
  Brazil 23
  Italy 271
  South Korea 292
  Romania 283
20 40 12
  1. ^ Italy rejected using its quota it qualified.
  2. ^ The final three sleds are given to fulfill continental representation (South Korea), and then to the top nations not previously qualified (Brazil and Italy).
  3. ^ Romania received the unused quota spot from Italy.

References edit

  1. ^ "Qualification Systems for XXII Olympic Winter Games, Sochi 2014" (PDF). International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation. December 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 28, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c FIBT ranking Archived 2014-02-14 at the Wayback Machine