U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials 2024

Qualifying Standards For The Olympics In Paris 2024

Qualifying Standards For The Olympics In Paris 2024

Here are the qualifying standards for track and field at the the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

May 23, 2024 by Matt Cannizzaro
Qualifying Standards For The Olympics In Paris 2024

For those who may remember, COVID-19 had other plans for the 2020 Summer Olympics, which eventually did make it to Tokyo in the summer of 2021. 

It was the fourth time Japan had hosted the Olympic Games – 1964 (Tokyo, summer), 1972 (Sapporo, winter) and 1998 (Nagano, winter) – while Tokyo became the first city in Asia to host the Summer Olympics twice.

The one-year delay of the 2020 Olympics marked the first time in history competition had been rescheduled and the first time the Olympics were held in an odd-numbered year. The first modern edition of the Summer Olympics took place in 1896.

When things finally got underway in late July 2021, it was without spectators, due to the state of emergency in Tokyo created by the pandemic. 

Not much was traditional for the more than 11,000 athletes who made the trip to Japan, including not being able to enjoy the host city in their free time. 

However, more than 325 medal events were held in Tokyo, and the world's best still achieved olympic glory. 

For those who just missed qualifying for Tokyo, those who fell short on-site and those hoping to enjoy a more normal Olympic experience, that time has arrived. The shorter-than-usual Olympic cycle is nearly complete, with the 2024 Games scheduled to take over Paris from July 26-Aug. 11.

But what does it take to earn a spot at the Summer Olympics?

What Are The Qualifying Standards For The 2024 Summer Olympics?

Below, are the qualifying standards for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris:

Men

No. of Athletes

Event

Standard

56

100m

10.00

48

200m

20.16

48

400m

45.00

48

800m

1:44.70

45

1500m

3:33.50 (3:50.40 mile)

42

5000m

13:05.00

27

10000m

27:00.00

40

110m hurdles / 100m hurdles

13.27

40

400m hurdles

48.70

36

3000m steeplechase

8:15.00

32

High Jump

2.33

32

Pole Vault

5.82

32

Long Jump

8.27

32

Triple Jump

17.22

32

Shot Put

21.50

32

Discus Throw

67.20

32

Hammer Throw

78.20

32

Javelin Throw

85.50

24

Decathlon/Heptathlon

8,460

48

20km race walk

1:20:10

80

Marathon

2:08:10

Women

No. of Athletes

Event

Standard

56

100m

11.17

48

200m

22.57

48

400m

50.95

48

800m

1:59.30

45

1500m

4:02.50 (4:20.90 mile)

42

5000m

14:52.00

27

10000m

30:40.00

40

110m hurdles/100m hurdles

12.77

40

400m hurdles

54.85

36

3000m steeplechase

9:23.00

32

High Jump

1.97

32

Pole Vault

4.73

32

Long Jump

6.86

32

Triple Jump

14.55

32

Shot Put

18.80

32

Discus Throw

64.50

32

Hammer Throw

74.00

32

Javelin Throw

64.00

24

Decathlon/Heptathlon

6,480

48

20km race walk

1:29:20

80

Marathon

2:26:50

About Olympic Track And Field Qualifying Standards

In the world of track and field, there’s a qualifying process that spans more than a year, giving athletes plenty of time to achieve specific times/scores to even become eligible to compete in the Olympics.

The international governing body for track and field, World Athletics, has set the standards for which they're aiming.

This is something that happens globally, from collegiate events to the World Championships and Olympics.

Having standards guarantees a high level of competition and balanced fields in each event and category. For Paris, half of the track and field participants will qualify through the entry standards, and half will qualify based on world rankings. 

The athletics part of the 2024 Olympics will include 23 men’s events and 23 women’s events, plus two mixed events (4x400 relay and 35km team race walk).

The qualifying window for the 10,000 meters, combined events, race walks and relays opened Dec. 31, 2022 and closes June 30, 2024. Marathoners had from Nov. 1, 2022 until April 30, 2024 to qualify. Qualifying for all other events opened July 1, 2023 and will close June 9, 2024.

*Note: Nations may have an additional set of standards for qualifying for their respective Olympic Trials.

How To Watch The 2024 Summer Olympics

For those in the United States, the 2024 Paris Olympics will air on NBC and Peacock, and NBCSports.com reported that the extensive coverage will set a record for broadcast hours on NBC. NBC will air at least nine hours of daytime coverage per day.

Peacock will air all 329 medal events and will also feature event replays, all NBC programming, special video clips/highlights and more.

Telemundo will offer continued coverage in Spanish.

Other NBC-related networks also will have some type of coverage.

Leading up to the 2024 Summer Olympics, and during the competition, FloTrack will provide insight, features, highlights and more. 

FloTrack Is The Streaming Home For Many Track And Field Meets Each Year

Don't miss all the track and field season action streaming on FloTrack. Check out the FloTrack schedule for more events.

FloTrack Archived Footage

Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloTrack subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

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