International Athletics Federation Tightens Olympic Qualification Standards for 2028

The International Athletics Federation has announced that athletes seeking to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will face much stricter standards than those in place for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The new qualification system will have a greater emphasis on global rankings, with around 40% of athletes qualifying through direct qualification standards and 60% through global rankings. This compares to a 50-50 split in the qualification process for the Paris Olympics.

The new qualification standards will apply to all track and field events, including 23 men's and 23 women's competitions, as well as mixed relay events. The 2028 Olympics will feature the mixed 4x100m relay for the first time. The International Athletics Federation has significantly tightened qualification standards in endurance events, with athletes required to achieve much faster times than those needed for the Paris Olympics.

In the men's marathon, the qualification standard has been reduced from 2 hours 8 minutes and 10 seconds to 2 hours 5 minutes. For women's marathons, the standard has been lowered from 2 hours 26 minutes and 50 seconds to 2 hours 22 minutes and 20 seconds. Similarly, in the men's 5000m event, the qualification standard has been reduced from 13 minutes and 5 seconds to 12 minutes and 50 seconds.

The qualification standards for sprint events have also been made more challenging, with the men's 100m standard reduced from 10 seconds to 9.93 seconds, and the women's standard reduced from 11.07 seconds to 10.96 seconds. Middle-distance runners will also face tougher challenges, with the men's 1500m standard reduced from 3 minutes and 33.50 seconds to 3 minutes and 30 seconds.

The International Athletics Federation has emphasized that achieving the qualification standard does not guarantee an automatic spot in the Olympics. If the number of athletes meeting the standard exceeds the available spots in a particular event, athletes with the best results during the qualification period will be given priority. In such cases, no athlete will qualify through global rankings.

The qualification period for marathon events will run from November 1, 2026, to April 30, 2028, while the qualification period for 10,000m and relay events will start on December 19, 2026. The qualification period for all other events will run from June 19, 2027, to June 18, 2028. The athletics events at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are scheduled to take place from July 15 to July 30.

The main athletics events will be held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The new qualification standards are part of a broader effort to raise the level of competition at the Olympics.

Key points

• The International Athletics Federation has introduced stricter qualification standards for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
• The new qualification system places greater emphasis on global rankings.
• Athletes will need to achieve faster times to qualify for events.