Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Qualification explained

For the swimming competitions at the 2012 Summer Olympics the following qualification systems were in place. The list has been updated to 20 August 2011. Qualification ends on 3 July 2012.

Qualifying standards

A National Olympic Committee (NOC) may enter up to 2 qualified athletes in each individual event if both meet the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT). 1 athlete per event can potentially qualify should they meet the Olympic Selection Time (OST) and if the quota of 900 athletes has not been met. NOCs may enter swimmers regardless of time (1 swimmer per sex) if they have no swimmers meeting either standard entry time.

The qualifying time standards must be obtained in Continental Championships, National Olympic Trials or International Competitions approved by FINA in the period 1 March 2011 to 3 July 2012.

FINA qualifying standards are as follows:^[1]

Men's events			Women's events
Event	Men's OQT	Men's OST	Event	Women's OQT	Women's OST
	22.11	22.88		25.27	26.15
	48.82	50.53		54.57	56.48
	1:47.82	1:51.59		1:58.33	2:02.47
	3:48.92	3:54.13		4:09.35	4:18.07
-	–	–		8:33.84	8:51.82
	15:11.83	15:43.74	–	–	–
	54.40	56.30		1:00.82	1:02.95
	1:58.48	2:02.63		2:10.84	2:15.42
	1:00.79	1:02.92		1:08.49	1:10.89
	2:11.74	2:16.35		2:26.89	2:32.03
	52.36	54.19		58.70	1:00.75
	1:56.86	2:00.95		2:08.95	2:13.46
	2:00.17	2:04.38		2:13.36	2:18.03
	4:16.46	4:25.44		4:41.75	4:51.75

Individual events

Only those with the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT) are listed below as on the FINA website as those with the Olympic Selection Time are not guaranteed a place in the Olympic Games.^{[2] [3]} Named swimmers have qualified personally through national selection meets or have been nominated by their National Olympic Committee (NOC).

The result is here:

• 438 – OQT (59 NF/NOCs)
• 181 – OST (12 NF/NOCs) – some still to be confirmed
• 131 – Relay-only swimmers
• 150 – Universality (95 NF/NOCs)
• Total: 900 (166 NF/NOCs)

Men's individual events

Men's 50 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 22.11	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 22.88[4]	15
Wildcard places	24
Total	59

Men's 100 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 48.82	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 50.53	18
Wildcard places	21
Total	60

Men's 200 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 1:47.82	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 1:51.59	12
Wildcard Places	6
Total	41

Men's 400 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 3:48.93	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 3:54.13	9
Wildcard Places	2
Total	28

Men's 1500 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 15:11.83	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 15:43.74	9
Wildcard Places	1
Total	31

Men's 100 m backstroke

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 54.40	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 56.30[5]	12	*
Wildcard Places	2
Total	43

* Chris Walker-Hebborn qualified in this event by an allocated quota, following a sudden withdrawal of Israel's Jonatan Kopelev.

Men's 200 m backstroke

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 1:58.48	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 2:02.63	10
Total	35

Men's 100 m breaststroke

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 1:00.79	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 1:02.92	15
Wildcard Places	5
Total	44

Men's 200 m breaststroke

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 2:11.74	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 2:16.35	11
Wildcard Places	2
Total	34

Men's 100 m butterfly

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 52.36	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1[6]
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 54.19	18
Wildcard Places	4
Total	44

Men's 200 m butterfly

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 1:56.85	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 2:00.95	13
Wildcard Places	1
Total	37

Men's 200 m individual medley

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 2:00.17	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 2:04.38	9
Wildcard Places	1
Total	36

Men's 400 m individual medley

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 4:16.46	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 4:25.44	12
Wildcard Places	3
Total	37

* to be confirmed by NF/NOC

Women's individual events

Women's 50 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 25.27	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 26.15	12
Wildcard places	31
Total	72

Women's 100 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 54.57	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 56.48	16
Wildcard places	16
Total	51

Women's 200 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 1:58.33	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 2:02.47	13
Wildcard places	2
Total	38

Women's 400 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 4:09.35	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 4:18.07	13
Wildcard places	2
Total	36

Women's 800 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 8:33.84	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 8:51.82	12
Wildcard places	3
Total	38

Women's 100 m backstroke

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 1:00.82	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 1:02.95	16
Wildcard places	5
Total	45

Women's 200 m backstroke

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 2:10.84	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 2:15.42	10
Total	38

Women's 100 m breaststroke

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 1:08.49	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 1:10.89	13
Wildcard Places	7
Total	48

Women's 200 m breaststroke

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 2:26.89	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 2:32.03	10
Wildcard Places	1
Total	34

Women's 100 m butterfly

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 58.70	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 1:00.75	15
Wildcard Places	4
Total	42

Women's 200 m butterfly

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 2:08.95	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 2:13.46	9
Total	27

Women's 200 m individual medley

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 2:13.36	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 2:18.03	17
Total	37

Women's 400 m individual medley

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	Qualified athletes
Olympic Qualifying Time – 4:41.75	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
	1
Olympic Selection Time – 4:51.75	11
Universality places	1
Total	36

* to be confirmed by NF/NOC

Relay events^[7]

Men's relay events

Men's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay

Qualification event	No. of teams	Qualified teams
2011 World Championships	align=center rowspan="1"	11
Best times of non-qualifiers	align=center rowspan="1"	4
TOTAL	15

Men's 4 × 200 m freestyle relay

Qualification event	No. of teams	Qualified teams
2011 World Championships	align=center rowspan="1"	12
Best times of non-qualifiers	align=center rowspan="1"	4
TOTAL	16

Men's 4 × 100 m medley relay

Qualification event	No. of teams	Qualified teams
2011 World Championships	align=center rowspan="1"	12
Best times of non-qualifiers	align=center rowspan="1"	4
TOTAL	16

Women's relay events

Women's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay

Qualification event	No. of teams	Qualified teams
2011 World Championships	align=center rowspan="1"	12
Best times of non-qualifiers	align=center rowspan="1"	4
TOTAL	16

Women's 4 × 200 m freestyle relay

Qualification event	No. of teams	Qualified teams
2011 World Championships	align=center rowspan="1"	12
Best times of non-qualifiers	align=center rowspan="1"	4
TOTAL	16

Women's 4 × 100 m medley relay

Qualification event	No. of teams	Qualified teams
2011 World Championships	align=center rowspan="1"	12
Best times of non-qualifiers	align=center rowspan="1"	4
TOTAL	16

Open water events

Men's 10 km marathon

Qualification event	Qualified athletes
Host*
2011 World Championships[8] [9]
2012 Olympic Marathon Swim Qualifier (9–10 June 2012)
Continent qualifiers

Women's 10 km marathon

Qualification event	Qualified athletes
2011 World Championships[10]
2012 Olympic Marathon Swim Qualifier (9–10 June 2012)
Continent qualifiers

• * If not qualified by any means. If Great Britain has already qualified quota will be added to the 2012 Olympic Marathon Swim Qualifier.

Notes

a.	Qualified in other events
b.	Under universality place, but reached the Olympic Standard Time

Notes and References

1. Web site: Qualifying Standards . FINA . 6 June 2011.
2. Web site: Swimming World Rankings . FINA . 30 June 2011.
3. Web site: Best Performers listing . Swim News. 21 July 2011.
4. http://www.fina.org/H2O/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2996&Itemid=1203 Swimmers invited by achieving OST standard times
5. http://www.fina.org/H2O/docs/events/london2012/sw/OST_invited.pdf OST invited
6. Web site: 27 June 2012. Three Brazilians Suspended for Positive Tests; Three Separate Bans; Glauber Silva Off Olympic Team. Swimming World Magazine. 28 June 2012. Glauber Silva, who had been a member of the Brazilian Olympic team in the 100 fly, was suspended for two years starting yesterday, and has been removed from the Olympic squad. No replacement will be named.. dead. https://archive.today/20130104221306/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/World/30990.asp. 4 January 2013.
7. Web site: London 2012 - Swimming - Qualified NF/NOC for the Relays. FINA. 21 March 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120410191410/http://www.fina.org/H2O/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2793&Itemid=1265. 10 April 2012.
8. Web site: Open water swimming qualification. FINA. 19 July 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110812171459/http://www.fina.org/H2O/docs/events/london2012/ow/ow_qual.pdf. 12 August 2011.
9. Web site: 10km Men. FINA. 20 July 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110725021518/http://omegatiming.com/openwater/racearchives/2011/shanghai2011/10_km_Mens_Results.pdf. 25 July 2011.
10. Web site: 10km Women. FINA. 19 July 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110812185058/http://www.omegatiming.com/openwater/racearchives/2011/shanghai2011/10_km_Womens_Results.pdf. 12 August 2011.