Canoeing at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Qualification explained

See main article: Canoeing at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

This article details the canoeing at the 2016 Summer Olympics qualifying phase. Similar to 2012 format, a qualification system has been set up for both slalom and sprint canoeing at these games. The quotas have already been set for each event by the International Canoe Federation in August 2014.

Summary

NOC	Slalom				Sprint												Total
	width=33 rowspan="2"	K1 M!	width=33 rowspan="2"	C1 M!	width=33 rowspan="2"	C2 M!	width=33 rowspan="2"	K1 W!	Men								Women				width=50 rowspan="2"	Boats !	width=50 rowspan="2"	Athletes
	width=33	K1 200 !	width=33	K1 1000 !	width=33	K2 200 !	width=33	K2 1000 !	width=33	K4 1000 !	width=33	C1 200 !	width=33	C1 1000 !	width=33	C2 1000 !	width=33	K1 200 !	width=33	K1 500 !	width=33	K2 500 !	width=33	K4 500
		X			X				X							X	4	10
	X	X		X	X	X	X	X	X			X		X	X		11	18
	X			X													2	2
	X									X			X	X			4	4
						X											1	1
	X	X	X	X		X				X		X		X			8	10
						X					X						2	2
	X	X			X	X	X				X		X	X		X	X	10	11
	X	X		X						X	X			X	X	X	8	10
	X			X													2	2
					X				X					X	X				4	6
	X	X	X	X	X	X			X		X	X					9	12
						X									X	X	3	5
					X												1	1
					X								X				2	2
	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X		X			X	13	17
										X							1	1
	X	X	X	X		X	X	X			X			X	X	X	11	16
	X	X	X	X			X							X	X	X	8	13
					X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	12	18
	X			X	X			X	X		X						4	4
	X	X	X	X													4	5
				X	X			X	X	X			X	X	X		8	13
					X						X						2	2
		X															1	1
					X		X	X		X							4	6
											X						1	1
				X													1	1
										X							1	1
												X					1	2
	X			X		X					X		X	X		X	7	9
	X																1	1
														X			1	1
	X	X	X	X	X						X	X	X	X	X	X	11	14
						X			X	X			X	X			5	7
	X	X	X	X	X	X			X	X	X	X	X		X		12	17
													X				1	1
											X						1	1
		X															1	1
					X	X	X	X					X		X	X	7	10
	X	X	X	X		X		X	X					X			8	12
	X	X	X	X									X	X			6	6
														X			1	1
							X										1	2
		X		X	X	X	X		X	X			X				8	11
	X				X								X		X		4	5
						X				X				X			3	3
													X				1	1
				X						X	X	X				X	5	9
	X	X	X	X											X			5	6
						X					X	X	X				4	4
Total: 51 NOCs	21	15	10	19	12	12	7	7	11	10	9	8	14	14	9	12	179	314

Slalom

For the slalom events, the men competed in C-1, C-2, and K-1. Women competed in K-1 only. Qualifications were allocated to NOCs, not to specific competitors. NOCs were limited to one boat per event. Qualification spots were earned as follows:

• World Championships: The top placed boats (considering only one boat per NOC) earned their NOCs a qualification. 15 qualification spots were available in the K-1 events, 10 in the C-1, and 8 boats (16 athletes) in the C-2.
• Continental Qualification Events: Only NOCs that did not earn qualification in a given event through the World Championships were eligible. For the K-1 and C-1 events, 1 qualification spot was available for each continent. For the C-2 event, only 3 total qualification spots were available; these were assigned to continents based on World Championship results: the best ranked non-qualifying NOCs from three different continents at the World Championships earned their continent one boat qualification place.
• Host country: Brazil, as the host country, was guaranteed one entry in each event if not already qualified.
• Tripartite Commission: Canoeing (both slalom and sprint) had a total of 2 qualification spots that would be awarded through Tripartite Commission invitations.
• Reallocation: Unused quota spots were reallocated. In practice, this was used where one of an NOC's C-2 competitors also competed in the C-1 event, freeing up the athlete quota spot that NOC had earned in the C-1.

Timeline

width=350	Event !	width=200	Date !	width=200	Venue
	July 18–19, 2015	Toronto, Canada
	September 16–20, 2015	Lee Valley, Great Britain
2015 African Canoeing Championships^[1]	November 6–8, 2015	Sagana, Kenya
	February 19–21, 2016	Penrith, Australia
	April 23–24, 2016	Toyama, Japan
	May 13–15, 2016	Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia

Qualification table

width=210	Event !	width=160	Men's K-1 !	width=160	Men's C-1 !	width=160	Men's C-2 !	width=160	Women's K-1
Host nation				—
2015 World Championships
2015 Pan American Games				**
2015 African Championships			—
2016 Oceania Championships	—		—	—
2016 Asian Championships
2016 European Championships
Tripartite Invitation	—		—	—
Reallocation	—		—
Total	21	19	12	21

Italic: National federation has qualified a boat but the athlete that did this was already counted in another boat
* No continental qualifying race held as less than three nations are eligible.
** National federation is limited to two athlete quota places at a continental qualifying event.

Sprint

NOCs are limited to one boat per event, and in kayaking to 8 men and 6 women positions. Qualification enables an NOC to participate, not necessarily in the person of the paddler who gained the place. Quotas given are for boats. Qualification spots were earned as follows:

• World Championships: The top placed boats (considering only one boat per NOC) earned their NOCs a qualification. 8 boat qualification spots were available in the K-1 events (1 of which was reserved for the host country in the men's 1000 metre and women's 500 metre events), 6 in the K-2 events, 10 in the K-4 events, 7 in the C-1 events (1 of which was reserved for the host country in the 1000 metre event), and 6 in the C-2 event.
• Continental Qualification Events: Only NOCs that did not earn qualification in a given event through the World Championships were eligible. For the K-1, C-1, and C-2 events, 1 boat qualification spot was available for each continent (except that Europe received 2 spots). For the K-2 events, Europe was guaranteed a boat qualification spot but only 3 total qualification spots were available for the remaining 4 continents; these were assigned to continents based on World Championship results: the best ranked non-qualifying NOCs from three different continents at the World Championships earned their continent one boat qualification place.
• Host country: Brazil, as the host country, was guaranteed entries in certain events as listed in the World Championship section.
• Tripartite Commission: Canoeing (both slalom and sprint) had a total of 2 qualification spots that would be awarded through Tripartite Commission invitations.
• Reallocation: Unused quota spots were reallocated. In practice, this was used where some of an NOC's competitors in a larger boat category also competed in a smaller category, freeing up the athlete quota spot that NOC had earned in the smaller category.

Timeline

width=350	Event !	width=200	Date !	width=200	Venue
	August 19–23, 2015	Milan, Italy
	November 4–7, 2015	Palembang, Indonesia
2016 Oceania Canoeing Championships	February 12–14, 2016	Adelaide, Australia
2016 African Sprint Qualifier	March 29 – April 2, 2016	Pretoria, South Africa
	May 18–19, 2016	Duisburg, Germany
2016 Pan American Sprint Qualifier	May 19–20, 2016	Gainesville, United States

Qualification table

width=100	Event !	width=140 rowspan="2"	2015 World Championships !	Continental qualification					width=50 rowspan="2"	Total
Men Kayak	width=140	Europe !	width=140	Americas !	width=140	Asia !	width=140	Africa !	width=140	Oceania
K-1 200 m							14
K-1 1000 m	^						14
K-2 200 m	∞ ^				—		10
K-2 1000 m	Δ ^^[2]				—	—	10
K-4 1000 m	Δ º	—	—	—	—	—	11
width=100	Event !	width=140 rowspan="2"	2015 World Championships !	Continental qualification					width=50 rowspan="2"	Total
Men Canoe	width=140	Europe !	width=140	Americas !	width=140	Asia !	width=140	Africa !	width=140	Oceania
C-1 200 m	∞ ^						13
C-1 1000 m	^						13
C-2 1000 m	Δ	Δ					12
Event	2015 World Championships	Continental qualification					Total
Women		width=140	Europe !	width=140	Americas !	width=140		Asia !	width=140	Africa !	width=140	Oceania
K-1 200 m	∞						14
K-1 500 m						^TR	15
K-2 500 m	∞ ^Δ				—		10
K-4 500 m	^ ^	—	—	—	—	—	11

Notes and References

1. https://www.canoeicf.com/sites/default/files/2015_african_championship.zip
2. News: Lietuvai – dar viena vieta Rio de Žaneiro olimpiadoje. Lithuanians earned one more place for Rio 2016. lt. Delfi. Lithuania. 7 March 2016. 8 March 2016.