The pivotal list determines the eligibility of athletes who have not met the Olympic standard but remain hopeful of competing in Paris. Among these are numerous Polish athletes, with potential for additional qualifiers.
The rankings hold significant weight following a reform in the qualification system, which aims to balance the number of athletes who have met stringent standards and those who have earned points through rankings. This approach was implemented to prevent an excess of qualified athletes exceeding competition limits, a common issue with previously lower standards.
Poland’s contingent for Paris will include both standard qualifiers and ranking qualifiers. Over the past year, 24 Polish athletes have met the Olympic minimums, including five relay teams: all 4x400 teams, the women’s 4x100, and the mixed 2x2x10 km race walk. Individual qualifiers include Ewa Swoboda, Natalia Kaczmarek, Pia Skrzyszowska, and Anita Włodarczyk.
As of last Wednesday, 21 additional Polish athletes were positioned to qualify based on the penultimate rankings. Some, such as Maria Andrejczyk and Robert Sobera, were virtually assured of their spots, while others faced uncertainty, pending the final rankings.
Following Tuesday’s update, athletes including Magdalena Stefanowicz, Martyna Kotwiła, and Albert Komański secured qualifying positions. The qualification process will continue until July 4, when teams must confirm their slots. Any unused positions will be reallocated, with the final team roster to be announced by July 8.
(jh)
Source: TVP Sport