Figure skating at the 2014 Winter Olympics – Qualification

The following is about the qualification rules and allocation of spots for the figure skating events at the 2014 Winter Olympics.[1]

Qualification system

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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. An additional six quota spots were made available for the team event. A further ten team trophy quotas (two in each discipline) will 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.[1][2]

Skater qualification

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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.

Country qualification

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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 2014 Winter Olympics in two ways. Most spots were allocated based on the results of the 2013 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 2014 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
1 Place in the top 2 Place in the top 10
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 the ISU any competitor who qualified for the short program received a maximum placement score of 18, and any competitor who qualified for the long program received a maximum placement score of 16.[3]

Qualification spots available per tournament

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The results of the 2013 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 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy in late September 2013. 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 the Nebelhorn Trophy countries could earn only one spot per discipline, regardless of placement. A total of six spots per singles event, four spots in pairs, and five in ice dance were available at the Nebelhorn Trophy.

If a country declined to use one or more of its qualified spots, the vacated spot was awarded using the results of the Nebelhorn Trophy in descending order of placement.

For the team trophy, scores from the 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons 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 2013, was the final event to affect the Team Trophy score.

Qualification timeline

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Event Date Venue
2013 World Figure Skating Championships March 10 to 17, 2013   London
2013 Nebelhorn Trophy September 25 to 28, 2013   Oberstdorf

Qualified countries

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Nations Men's singles Ladies' singles Pair skating Ice dance Additional Team trophy Athletes
  Australia 1 1 0 1 4
  Austria 1 1 1 0 4
  Azerbaijan 0 0 0 1 2
  Belgium 1 0 0 0 1
  Brazil 0 1 0 0 1
  Canada 3 2 3 3 X 17
  China 1 2 2 1 X 9
  Czech Republic 2 1 0 0 3
  Estonia 1 1 0 0 2
  France 2 1 1 2 X 9
  Georgia 0 1 0 0 1
  Germany 1 1 2 2 X 10
  Great Britain 1 1 1 1 X 6*
  Israel 1 0 1 0 3
  Italy 1 2 2 2 X 11
  Japan 3 3 1 1 X 10
  Kazakhstan 2 0 0 0 2
  Lithuania 0 0 0 1 2
  Norway 0 1 0 0 1
  Philippines 1 0 0 0 1
  Romania 1 0 0 0 1
  Russia 1 2 3 3 X 15
  Slovakia 0 1 0 0 1
  South Korea 0 3 0 0 3
  Spain 2 0 0 1 4
  Sweden 1 1 0 0 2
  Turkey 0 0 0 1 2
  Ukraine 1 1 1 1 X 6
  United States 2 3 2 3 X 15
  Uzbekistan 1 0 0 0 1
Total: 30 NOCs 30 30 20 24 1 10 149
  • Great Britain is allowed to bring a men's skater to allow the country to participate in the team event, bringing the actual total entries to 149.

Qualification summary

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Men's singles

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Event Location Athletes
per NOC
Qualified Total
2013 World Figure Skating Championships   London 3   Canada
  Japan
24
2   Kazakhstan
  Spain
  United States
  France
  Czech Republic
1   Germany
  China
  Uzbekistan
  Russia
  Sweden
  Belgium
  Austria
  Estonia
2013 Nebelhorn Trophy   Oberstdorf 1   Israel
  Romania
  Philippines
  Australia
  Ukraine
  Italy
6
TOTAL 30

Ladies' singles

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Event Location Athletes
per NOC
Qualified Total
2013 World Figure Skating Championships   London 3   South Korea
  Japan
  United States
24
2   Italy
  China
  Canada
  Russia
1   France
  Sweden
  Ukraine
  Estonia
  Slovakia
  Germany
  Great Britain
2013 Nebelhorn Trophy   Oberstdorf 1   Australia
  Georgia
  Norway
  Austria
  Czech Republic
  Brazil
6
TOTAL 30

Pair skating

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Event Location Pairs
per NOC
Qualified Total
2013 World Figure Skating Championships   London 3   Russia
  Canada
15
2   Germany
  China
  France
  United States
  Italy
1   France
2013 Nebelhorn Trophy   Oberstdorf 1   Great Britain
  Ukraine
  Estonia
  Israel
  Japan
  Austria
5
TOTAL 20
  • Russian-born Alexandr Zaboev was denied Estonian citizenship, and therefore, cannot compete in the Olympics with partner Natalja Zabijako.[4] Estonia's spot went to Japan.
  • Russian-born Daria Popova (partnered with Bruno Massot) did not receive French citizenship in time.[5] France's second spot went to Austria.

Ice dance

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Event Location Pairs
per NOC
Qualified Total
2013 World Figure Skating Championships   London 3   United States
  Canada
  Russia
19
2   Italy
  France
  Germany
1   Great Britain
  Ukraine
  Lithuania
  Azerbaijan
2013 Nebelhorn Trophy   Oberstdorf 1   China
  Turkey
  Australia
  Japan
  Spain
5
TOTAL 24

Team event

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     Qualified to Olympics      Reserve nation for Olympics      Not eligible for Olympics
rank Team 2012–2013 2013–14 Total
1   Canada 3826 2227 6053
2   Russia 2911 2548 5459
3   United States 3142 2132 5274
4   Japan 2009 2053 4062
5   Italy 2475 1232 3707
6   France 2218 1408 3626
7   China 2062 1547 3609
8   Germany 2143 1453 3596
9   South Korea 1424 528 1952
10   Spain 1283 324 1607
11   Kazakhstan 1080 517 1597
12   Ukraine 991 537 1528
13   Czech Republic 679 645 1324
14   Great Britain 776 485 1261
15   Australia 650 284 934
16   Sweden 505 426 931
17   Uzbekistan 572 191 763
18   Belarus 451 284 735
19   Estonia 671 0 671
20   Finland 357 241 598

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Qualification Systems for XXII Olympic Winter Games, Sochi 2014" (PDF). International Skating Union. December 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 28, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  2. ^ "Olympic Winter Games 2014 Entries/Participation" (PDF). International Skating Union. October 1, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 24, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  3. ^ ISU special rules and technical rules Archived July 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Estonia stops Russian figure skater's Sochi hopes". Yahoo! Sports.
  5. ^ Nony, Céline (January 21, 2014). "Popova-Massot n'iront pas" [Popova-Massot won't go to Sochi] (in French). L'Équipe.
  6. ^ ISU communications with confirmation of teams invited to team trophy competition