How many swimmers will compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics? Full qualification system explained

Swimming reigns among the most popular sports since the establishment of the Olympic games in 1896. It is also one of the oldest sports at the Games, having been conducted at every meet in modern Olympic history.

The much anticipated 2024 Paris Olympics will feature various swimming events at the Paris La Défense Arena, giving swimmers from around the world an opportunity to get their hands on gold.

According to Olympics.com, every National Olympic Committee (NOC) will be given 26 quotas each for men and women. Each NOC will be allowed to send a maximum of two athletes for an individual event at the Paris games. This brings the total tally of swimmers set to compete at the Olympics to a staggering 852!

---

Swimming: Qualification pathway

The Olympic committee recently announced that the qualification process for Paris would follow a four-point system with priority being given in the following order:

1. Athletes who achieve the set Olympic Qualification Times (OQT)
2. Athletes who are part of an NOC's relay team (relay-only athletes)
3. Universality places
4. Athletes who are invited and have achieved an Olympic Consideration Time (OCT)

For individual events at the Olympics, athletes will have to achieve the Olympic Qualification Times or the Olympic Consideration Times. Different times are set for particular events, and athletes must meet the time within the qualification period of March 1, 2023, to June 23, 2024.

Ron Polonsky of Team Israel, Tomas Peribonio Avila of Team Ecuador, and Jose Lopes of Team Portugal compete in heat one of the Men's 400m Individual Medley on day one of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 24, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Each NOC is allowed to enter two athletes per event, provided the athlete has met the OQT. After the qualification period ends, if the 852 spots for swimming have not been filled according to the top three prioritized qualification methods, athletes who have achieved the OCT will be entered into various events until the number is reached.

Relay events at the Paris Olympics will see a total of 16 teams competing in each category. The final results of the 20th FINA World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in July 2023 will decide the top three teams that will go through to the corresponding events in Paris.

Zach Apple (C) and teammates of Team United States react after winning the gold medal and breaking the world record in the Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay Final on day nine of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on August 1, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

The remaining 13 spots will be decided in the preliminary heats of each relay event at the 21st FINA World Championships 2024 in Doha, Qatar. This will exclude the teams that have already qualified in Japan.

In the case of a tie in Japan, only 12 spots will be up for grabs in Qatar. However, if two teams are tied for third place in Qatar, they will participate in a swim-off to determine who qualifies for the 2024 Games.

Universality places are set up to help NOCs that do not have a qualified athlete. They will be allowed to enter one male and one female athlete in one event each.

NOCs without athletes who have met the OQT can enter two athletes (a man and a woman) into one event each, provided the athletes have competed in either of the two World Championships within the qualification period.