Figure skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics – Qualification

The following is about the qualification rules and allocation of spots for the figure skating events at the 2018 Winter Olympics.[1]

Qualification system edit

A total of 148 quota spots are available to athletes to compete at the games. A maximum of 18 athletes can be entered by a National Olympic Committee, with a maximum of 9 men or 9 women. A further ten team trophy quotas can be distributed to countries qualifying for the team event, but not the discipline itself. This means up to a maximum of 158 athletes can partake. If these additional ten quotas are not used, then the host (South Korea) may use them to qualify for each event, but may not qualify for the team event by use of these additional quotas.[1]

Skater qualification edit

There is no individual athlete qualification to the Olympics; the choice of which athlete(s) to send to the Games is at the discretion of each country's National Olympic Committee. Each country is allowed a maximum of three entries per discipline, resulting in a maximum of 18 athletes (nine men and nine women) possible per country.

According to ISU rules, countries must select their entries from among skaters who have achieved a minimum technical elements score (TES) at an ISU-recognized international competition on or before 29 January 2018.[1]

Minimum technical scores (TES)[2]
Discipline SP / SD FS / FD
Men 25 45
Ladies 20 36
Pairs 20 36
Ice dance 19 29
Must be achieved at an ISU-recognized international event
in the ongoing or preceding season.
SP and FS scores may be attained at different events.

Country qualification edit

The number of entries for the figure skating events at the Olympic Games is limited by a quota set by the International Olympic Committee. A total of 148 quota spots are available to athletes to compete at the games. There will be 30 skaters in the disciplines of men's and ladies' singles, 20 pair skating teams, and 24 ice dance teams. Additionally, ten nations qualified for the team event.

Countries were able to qualify entries to the 2018 Winter Olympics in two ways. Most spots were allocated based on the results of the 2017 World Championships. At the event, countries were able to qualify up to three entries in each discipline according to the usual system in place; countries which earned multiple spots to the Olympics also earned multiple spots to the 2018 World Championships. Every discipline qualified separately.

At the World Championships, the system was as follows:

Number of skaters/teams
entered at Worlds
To earn 3 entries
to the Olympics
To earn 2 entries
to the Olympics
To earn 1 entry
to the Olympics
1 Place in the top 2 Place in the top 10 Next best ranked athlete from
the NFs not qualified with two
or three places, until the
quotas of qualification through
the ISU World Figure Skating
Championships 2017 are reached.
2 Total placements is equal to or less than 13 Total placements is equal to or less than 28
3 Top two placements is equal to or less than 13 Top two placements is equal to or less than 28
  • according to rule 378(2) of ISU any competitor who failed to qualify for the free program received a maximum placement score of 18, and any competitor who qualified for the free program received a maximum placement score of 16.[3]

Qualification spots available per tournament edit

The results of the 2017 World Championships determined 83 total spots: 24 entries in each singles discipline, 16 in pairs, and 19 in ice dance. The available spots were awarded going down the results list, with multiple spots being awarded first.

The remainder of the spots were filled at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany in late September 2017. Countries which had already earned an entry to the Olympics were not allowed to qualify more entries at this final qualifying competition. Unlike at the World Championships, where countries could qualify more than one spot depending on the placement of the skater, at this ISU competition countries could earn only one spot per discipline, regardless of placement. Initially, a total of six spots per singles event, four spots in pairs, and five in ice dance were available at the ISU competition.

If a country declines to use one or more of its qualified spots, the vacated spot is awarded using the results of the ISU competition in descending order of placement. By the time the ISU competition was held, one more spot in pairs and one more spot in ice dance became available according to this rule.

For the team trophy, scores from the 2016–17 championship season and the 2017–18 grand prix season, were tabulated to establish the ten top nations. Each nation compiled a score from their top performers in each of the four disciplines. The Grand Prix Final, taking place in early December 2017, was the final event to affect the Team Trophy score.

Qualification timeline edit

Event Date Venue
2017 World Figure Skating Championships April 2 – March 29, 2017 Helsinki, Finland
2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 27–30 September 2017 Oberstdorf, Germany

Qualified countries edit

Nations Men's singles Ladies' singles Pair skating Ice dance Additional Team trophy Athletes
  Australia 1 1 1 0 4
  Austria 0 0 1 0 2
  Belgium 1 1 0 0 2
  Brazil 0 1 0 0 1
  Canada 2 3 3 3 X 17
  China 2 1 3 1 X 11
  Czech Republic 1 0 1 1 5
  Finland 0 1 0 0 1
  France 1 1 1 2 X 8
  Georgia 1 0 0 0 1
  Germany 1 1 2 1 X 8
  Great Britain 0 0 0 1 2
  Hungary 0 1 0 0 1
  Israel 2 0 1 1 1 X 7
  Italy 1 2 2 2 X 11
  Japan 3 2 1 1 X 9
  Kazakhstan 1 2 0 0 3
  Latvia 1 1 0 0 2
  Malaysia 1 0 0 0 1
  North Korea 0 0 1 0 2
  Philippines 1 0 0 0 1
  Poland 0 0 0 1 2
  Olympic Athletes from Russia 2 3 3 2 X 15
  Slovakia 0 1 0 1 3
  South Korea 1 2 1 1 X 7
  Spain 2 0 0 1 4
  Sweden 0 1 0 0 1
  Switzerland 0 1 0 0 1
  Turkey 0 0 0 1 2
  Ukraine 1 1 0 1 4
  United States 3 3 1 3 X 14
  Uzbekistan 1 0 0 0 1
Total: 32 NOCs 30 30 22 24 1 10 153

Qualification summary edit

Men's singles edit

Event Location Athletes
per NOC
Qualified Total
2017 World Figure Skating Championships   Helsinki 3   Japan
  United States
24
2   China
  Spain
  Canada
  Olympic Athletes from Russia
  Israel
1   Uzbekistan
  Georgia
  Latvia
  Australia
  Kazakhstan
  France
  Czech Republic
  Germany
2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy   Oberstdorf 1   Belgium
  Sweden
  Italy
  South Korea
  Malaysia
  Ukraine
  Philippines
6
Total 30

Ladies' singles edit

Event Location Athletes
per NOC
Qualified Total
2017 World Figure Skating Championships   Helsinki 3   Olympic Athletes from Russia
  Canada
  United States
24
2   Japan
  Italy
  Kazakhstan
  South Korea
1   China
  Belgium
  Slovakia
  France
  Germany
  Hungary
  Latvia
2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy   Oberstdorf 1   Australia
  Sweden
  Switzerland
  Brazil
  Finland
  Ukraine
6
Total 30

Pairs edit

Event Location Pairs
per NOC
Qualified Total
2017 World Figure Skating Championships   Helsinki 3   China
  Olympic Athletes from Russia
  Canada
15
2   Germany
  France
  Italy
1   France
  United States
2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy   Oberstdorf 1   Australia
  Austria
  North Korea
  Israel
  Czech Republic
  Japan
5
ISU Executive Board invitations Host nation 1   South Korea 1
IOC special considerations 1   North Korea 1
Total 22
  • The USA pairs entries did achieve the requisite 28 placement points to have two entries, however only receive one entry because the total number of qualifiers from the World Championship exceeded sixteen, and they were the last ISU member to reach the qualifying limit (rule 400.A.3)[6]
  • France withdrew its second pairs spot making 5 spots available at the Nebelhorn Trophy.[7]
  • North Korea originally missed the deadline to submit entries and was replaced by the first alternate, Japan. However, following negotiations with South Korea, the North Koreans agreed to send the athletes after all[8] and IOC agreed to extend the deadline.[9] ISU clarified that North Korea's quota place has been given to Japan and that an additional entry in to the competition is up to IOC.[10]

Ice dance edit

Event Location Pairs
per NOC
Qualified Total
2017 World Figure Skating Championships   Helsinki 3   Canada
  United States
18
2   France
  Olympic Athletes from Russia
  Italy
1   Israel
  Denmark
  Poland
  Ukraine
  China
  Turkey
  Spain
2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy   Oberstdorf 1   Great Britain
  Japan
  Germany
  South Korea
  Czech Republic
  Slovakia
6
Total 24

Team event edit

Final standings.[12][13]

     Qualified to Olympics      Reserve      Not eligible for Olympics
rank Team 2016–17 2017–18 Total
1   Canada 3776 2308 6084
2   Olympic Athletes from Russia 3533 2391 5924
3   United States 3021 2034 5055
4   Japan 2674 1671 4345
5   China 2724 1507 4231
6   Italy 2172 1629 3801
7   France 2076 1576 3652
8   Germany 1602 1204 2806
9   Spain 1222 636 1858
10   Israel 1015 506 1521
11   South Korea 1064 333 1397
12   Australia 842 478 1320
13   Ukraine 591 641 1232
14   Kazakhstan 764 453 1217
15   Great Britain 719 404 1123
16   Czech Republic 833 236 1069
17   Belgium 421 370 791
18   Uzbekistan 377 324 701
19   Austria 454 236 690
20   Georgia 422 262 684
  • Note only the top 20 are listed of 43 nations who have scored qualification points.
  • 2016–17 total is the sum of the top qualifying point total in each of the four disciplines derived from the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships.
    If Skaters/Couples of a NOC/ISU Member have not obtained World Standing points in the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2017, then it is possible to use the 2017 European Figure Skating Championships respectively the 2017 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships and if needed the 2017 World Junior Figure Skating Championships.[1]
  • 2017–18 total is the sum of the top qualifying point total in each of the four disciplines derived from one of the 2017–2018 ISU Grand Prix individual events or Grand Prix Final (senior).
    If Skaters/Couples of a NOC/ISU Member have not obtained points in the above-mentioned ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating individual events and Final (senior), then the best result in one event of the 2017–18 ISU Junior Grand Prix individual events (only in individual events but not the Final) season 2017/18 can be considered.[1]
  • For a nation to be represented in the team event it must have qualified entrants in three of the other four Olympic events. The host (South Korea) can qualify for each event as host if the additional athletes quota for the team event is not used up. However they cannot qualify for the team event by use of 'host' qualifiers.[1]

Next eligible NOC per event edit

If a country rejects a quota spot then additional quotas become available. A country can be eligible for one quota spot per event in the reallocation process. Countries in bold indicate the country later received a quota spot. The following list is compiled after the remaining spots were allocated at the 2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy.

Men's singles Ladies' singles Pairs Ice dance
  Philippines
  Switzerland
  Great Britain
  Poland
  Armenia
  Singapore
  Chinese Taipei
  Philippines
  Japan
  Belarus
  Spain
  Great Britain
  Lithuania
  Armenia
  Finland
  Belarus

References edit

Citations edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Qualification Systems for XXIII Olympic Winter Games, PyeongChang 2018". International Skating Union. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  2. ^ "Communication No. 2097: Decisions of the ISU Council" (PDF). International Skating Union. 13 June 2017. Archived from the original on 4 August 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ "International Skating Union Special Regulations and Technical Rules Single & Pair and Ice Dance 2016". International Skating Union. June 2016. p. 24.
  4. ^ Majorov, Alexander (22 January 2018). "Well, no Olympic ticket for me" (Instagram). Archived from the original on 2021-12-24.
  5. ^ "Figure skater Michael Martinez claims Olympics seat". The Philippine Star. 25 January 2018.
  6. ^ "International Skating Union Special Regulations and Technical Rules Single & Pair and Ice Dance 2016". International Skating Union. June 2016. p. 28.
  7. ^ "Tarasova/Morozov (RUS) lead in Pairs Short at Nebelhorn Trophy". International Skating Union. 27 September 2017.
  8. ^ Bishop, Mac William; Harrison, Bruce (9 January 2018). "North Korea agrees to send athletes to South Korea Olympics". NBC News.
  9. ^ Said-Moorhouse, Lauren; Coppack, Sean (8 January 2018). "IOC extends deadline for North Koreans to register for Olympics". CNN.
  10. ^ "ISU Statement - Democratic People's Republic of Korea Olympic participation". International Skating Union. 10 January 2018.
  11. ^ Nurminen, Jere (28 September 2017). "The ice dancing promising start in the Olympic Games" (in Finnish). Yle Sports.
  12. ^ "Pyeongchang 2018 qualified Teams for the Team Event". www.isu.org/. International Skating Union (ISU). 14 December 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  13. ^ Young Shin, Kim (12 January 2018). "10 countries qualify for PyeongChang figure skating team event". Korea.net. Government of South Korea. Retrieved 14 January 2018.

External links edit