Guest Sports, Combat Sports and Qualification Phases for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games:
In early August 2016, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved the proposal made by the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee to add five guest sports to the 2020 Olympic Programme. In particular, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will see the return of Baseball/Softball, as well as the debut of Karate, Surfing, Skateboarding and Sports Climbing. The IOC aims to make the Olympic Games more accessible and appealing to the youth, as well as better promote gender equality in their events. In this regard, the IOC President Thomas Bach specifically stated:
“We want to take sport to the youth. […] Taken together, the five sports are an innovative combination of established and emerging, youth-focused events that are popular in Japan and will add to the legacy of the Tokyo Games.” – Thomas Bach on the addition of the five guest sports to the 2020 Summer Olympics.
As regards four of the combat sports taking part in the 2020 Summer Olympics: Wrestling, Judo, Taekwondo and Karate, several places are reserved for athletes from the Host Country (i.e. Japan). Athletes from other National Olympic Committees (NOCs) must undergo the qualifying phases for each sport which are organised and overseen by their respective federations, United World Wrestling (UWW), International Judo Federation (IJF), World Taekwondo (WT) and World Karate Federation (WKF).
Wrestling:
Wrestling will comprise a total of 18 events (6 Men’s Freestyle, 6 Men’s Greco-Roman and 6 Women’s Freestyle), where up to 288 athletes will be competing. Each NOC will be allowed to enter up to 1 athlete per event (i.e. 18 athletes in total). The qualification pathway for Wrestling at Tokyo 2020 is divided into three phases, where each NOC is allowed to enter up to one competitor per weight category.
1. 2019 Senior World Championships: This is a set of 5 Senior Championships, each one taking place in either Africa, America, Asia, Europe or Oceania. For every Senior Championship and per weight category, the top 6 athletes will each earn 1 qualification place for their NOC at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
2. 2020 Continental Qualification Tournaments: This is a set of 4 Qualification Tournaments reserved only for athletes who failed to earn a place in their own weight category for their NOC during the 2019 Senior World Championships. In particular, 3 Qualification Tournaments will be taking place: one in America, one in Asia and one Europe. 1 joined Qualification Tournament will also be held for Africa and Oceania. For every Qualification Tournament and per weight category, the top 2 athletes will each earn 1 qualification place for their NOC at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
3. 2020 World Qualification Tournament: This is reserved only for athletes who failed to earn a place in their own weight category for their NOC during the 2019 Senior World Championships and the 2020 Continental Qualification Tournaments. Per weight category, the top 2 athletes will each earn 1 qualification place for their NOC at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
In particular, if the Host Country fails to earn at least 1 qualification place for men’s events and 1 qualification place for women’s events, then those qualification places are reserved to the highest-ranking Japanese athletes at the Olympic Continental Qualification Tournament in Asia.
Judo:
Judo will comprise a total of 15 events at the 2020 Summer Olympics (7 Men’s events, 7 Women’s events and 1 mixed team event), where up to 386 athletes will be competing. Each NOC will be allowed to enter up to 1 athlete per weight category (i.e. 14 athletes in total). The qualification pathway for Judo at Tokyo 2020 is primarily based on the IJF World Ranking List of 25 May 2020, through which 352 athletes will be qualified, as well as a Continental Ranking List for each continent (based on the IJF World Ranking List), through which an additional 100 athletes will be qualified based on their World Ranking points.
1. Direct Qualification: Per weight category, the top 18 athletes ranked on the IJF World Ranking List of 25 May 2020 will each earn 1 qualification place for their NOC at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
2. Continental Qualification: The top athletes ranked on the Continental Ranking List will be qualified as follows: up to 24 athletes from Africa (12 male and 12 female), up to 25 athletes from Europe (13 male and 12 female), up to 20 athletes from Asia (20 male and 20 female), up to 10 athletes from Oceania (5 male and 5 female) and up to 21 athletes from America (10 male and 11 female). Across all weight categories and genders, each NOC is allowed to enter up to 1 athlete by Continental Qualification. If a continent fails to reserve all of its qualification places, then, in the respective gender, the remaining qualification places will be allocated to the top athletes not yet qualified.
In particular, the Host Country is guaranteed up to 14 qualification places (7 for men’s events and 7 for women’s events, as well as participation in the mixed team event) at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Moreover, through an invitation by the Tripartite Commission, an additional 20 qualification places will be made available to eligible NOCs.
Taekwondo:
Taekwondo will comprise a total of 8 events (4 Men’s events and 4 Women’s events), where up to 128 athletes will be competing. Each NOC will be allowed to enter up to 1 athlete per weight category (i.e. 8 athletes in total). The qualification pathway for Taekwondo at Tokyo 2020 is divided into two main phases, where each NOC is allowed to enter up to one competitor per weight category.
1. Qualification through the WT Olympic Ranking and WT Grand Slam Champions Series: 48 athletes will be qualified in total.
– a) WT Olympic Ranking: This is World Taekwondo’s Olympic ranking of athletes. Per weight category, the top 5 athletes ranked on WT Olympic Ranking points will each earn 1 qualification place for their NOC at the 2020 Summer Olympics. In case two athletes tie with the same number of WT Olympic Ranking points, the athlete who won the ranking points at higher graded events will receive the qualification place. 40 athletes (20 male and 20 female) will be qualified in total.
– b) WT Grand Slam Champions Series: Per weight category, the top athlete ranked on merit points through the WT Grand Slam Champions Series of January 2020 will earn 1 qualification place for their NOC at the 2020 Summer Olympics. In case two athletes tie with the same number of merit points, the athlete who took part in more WT Grand Slam Champions Series events will earn the qualification place. 8 athletes (4 male and 4 female) will be qualified in total.
2. Continental Qualification Tournaments: This is reserved only for NOCs which have failed to qualify at least two male athletes and two female athletes through the WT Olympic Ranking and WT Grand Slam Champions Series or NOCs who have abandoned the qualification places which they have obtained throughout. 5 Continental Qualification Tournaments will each be taking place in either Africa, America, Asia, Europe or Oceania. For each Qualification Tournament (except for the Oceania Qualification Tournament) and per weight category, the top 2 athletes will each earn 1 qualification place for their NOC at the 2020 Summer Olympics. As for the Oceania Qualification Tournament, it is the highest ranked athlete who will earn 1 qualification place for their NOC. 72 athletes (36 male and 36 female) will be qualified in total.
In particular, the Host Country is guaranteed up to 4 places (2 for men’s events and 2 for women’s events with up to 1 athlete per weight category) at the Tokyo 2020 Games, if it qualifies less than 4 athletes through the WT Olympic Ranking and WT Grand Slam Champions Series. Moreover, through an invitation by the Tripartite Commission, an additional 4 qualification places (2 for men’s events and 2 for women’s events) which the Host NOC did not choose as Host Country places will be made available to eligible NOCs.
Karate:
Karate will comprise a total of 8 events, where up to 80 athletes will be competing. Per gender, there will be 1 Kata event and the 5 standard WKF Kumite Senior events will be merged to form 3 Olympic weight categories. Each NOC will be allowed to enter up to 1 athlete per Olympic weight category (i.e. 8 athletes in total). The qualification pathway for Karate at Tokyo 2020 is divided into three main phases.
1. Olympic Standing as of 06 April 2020: Per gender and per Olympic weight category, the top 4 athletes will each earn 1 qualification place for their NOC at the 2020 Summer Olympics. If the Olympic weight category is a combination of two standard WKF weight categories, then the top 2 athletes from each WKF category will each earn 1 qualification place for their NOC in the corresponding Olympic weight category. If the Olympic weight category is the same as one standard WKF weight category, then the top 4 athletes from that WKF category will each earn 1 qualification place in the corresponding Olympic weight category. 32 athletes (16 male and 16 female) will be qualified in total.
2. 2020 Qualification Tournament (08-10 May 2020): This is a Qualification Tournament reserved only for athletes who failed to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics through the Olympic Standing as of 06 April 2020. It is scheduled to take place in Paris, France and will comprise the same events as those determined for Tokyo 2020. Each NOC can enter up to 1 athlete per weight category (except the categories where they have an athlete already qualified through the Olympic Standing as of 06 April 2016). Per weight category, the top 3 athletes will each earn 1 qualification place for their NOC at the 2020 Summer Olympics. 24 athletes (12 male and 12 female) will be qualified in total.
3. Continental Representation: Qualification through Continental Representation is based on 5 Continental Games: the 2018 Asian Games (18 August – 2 September 2018), the 2019 European Games (21-30 June 2019), the 2019 Pan American Games (26 July – 11 August 2019), the 2019 African Games (19-31 August 2019) and the 2019 Pacific Games (26 July – 11 August 2019). At each of the Continental Games and per gender, the top gold medallist across all events, not yet qualified through the Olympic Standing or the Qualification Tournament, will earn 1 qualification place for their NOC at the 2020 Summer Olympics. If all top athletes are qualified, then all remaining qualification places will be given to the next best athlete (and so on until all bronze medallists qualify). Any remaining qualification place after this will be given based on the Olympic Standing as of 06 April 2020, where the remaining highest ranked athletes will each earn 1 qualification place for their NOC at the 2020 Summer Olympics. 12 athletes will be qualified in total.
In particular, the Host Country is guaranteed 8 qualification places (per gender, 3 for the Kumite weight categories and 1 for the Kata event) at the 2020 Summer Olympics. If the Host NOC fails to qualify 8 athletes for Tokyo 2020, then the remaining Host Country places will automatically be allocated to the top remaining Japanese athletes in the Olympic Standing as of 06 April 2020. Moreover, through an invitation by the Tripartite Commission, an additional 4 qualification places (2 for men’s events and 2 for women’s events) will be made available to eligible NOCs.
Written by Zakaria Zerrouki – London 2019
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING:
IOC Approves Five New Sports For Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (03/08/2016), https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-approves-five-new-sports-for-olympic-games-tokyo-2020
Five Additional Sports Unanimously Approved by the IOC for Tokyo 2020 (04/08/2016),https://tokyo2020.org/en/news/notice/20160804-01.html
Wrestling at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification (Wikipedia, 01/05/2019), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrestling_at_the_2020_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Qualification
Judo at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification (Wikipedia, 24/03/2019), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo_at_the_2020_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Qualification
Taekwondo at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification (Wikipedia, 02/05/2019), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo_at_the_2020_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Qualification
Karate at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification (Wikipedia, 29/05/2019), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karate_at_the_2020_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Qualification
Qualification System – Games of the XXXII Olympiad – Tokyo 2020 – United World Wrestling (UWW) – Wrestling (United World Wrestling, 31/05/2018), https://unitedworldwrestling.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/qualification_system_final_tokyo2020_a.pdf
Qualification System – Games of the XXXII Olympiad – Tokyo 2020 – International Judo Federation (IJF) – Judo (International Judo Federation, 03/02/2019), https://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2019/03/FINAL_-_2019-02-3_-_Tokyo_2020-1553159368.pdf
Qualification System – Games of the XXXII Olympiad – Tokyo 2020 – World Taekwondo (WT) – Taekwondo (World Taekwondo, 15/03/2018), http://www.worldtaekwondo.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/FINAL-2018-03-15-Tokyo-2020-Qualification-System-Taekwondo-eng.pdf
Qualification System – Games of the XXXII Olympiad – Tokyo 2020 – World Karate Federation (WKF) – Karate (World Karate Federation, 24/05/2018), https://www.wkf.net/pdf/final-tokyo2020-qualificationsystem-karate.pdf
