Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Qualification
Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Qualification (short version)
- The qualification period for athletics ended on 11 July 2016.
- Russia was suspended by the IAAF over doping issues and could not compete as a team. Some Russian athletes could compete as neutral athletes under Rule 22.1A if they proved they were independent from the Russian system. Yuliya Stepanova became the first neutral athlete to qualify on 1 July 2016, and Darya Klishina was also granted permission. They competed as Independent Olympic Athletes. The Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected the appeal of 68 Russian athletes on 21 July 2016, and Stepanova was barred by the IOC. She faced threats back home in Russia.
- A National Olympic Committee (NOC) may enter up to 3 qualified athletes in each event if they meet the entry standard, and up to 1 qualified relay team per event. If no athletes from a country meet the standard, the country may still enter one athlete per sex.
- Qualifying times must be achieved at approved outdoor meets (indoor meets are generally not eligible for most events, with exceptions for 100 m, 200 m, and hurdles). The qualifying period was:
- 1 January 2015 to 11 July 2016 for the 10,000 m, marathon, walks, and combined events;
- 1 May 2015 to 11 July 2016 for the remaining events.
- For relays, the top eight teams from the 2015 IAAF World Relays earned Olympic spots. The remaining spots were filled according to the IAAF World Ranking List as of 12 July 2016, based on the two fastest times achieved by each NOC during the period.
- The marathon had a special rule: finishing in the top 20 at the 2015 IAAF World Championships or top 10 in any IAAF Gold Label marathon during the period counted as meeting the A standard.
- NOCs may select athletes using their own rules, as long as the athletes have met the qualifying time. Examples: the United States uses the results of its Olympic Trials; Sweden selects based on its own assessments.
- The Kenyan marathon qualification was extremely competitive, with many Kenyan men meeting the standard by mid-2016.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 11:18 (CET).