New Olympic Qualification Criteria Recommended by ICF
Zagreb, Croatia – The Executive of the International Canoe Federation will recommend to the International Olympic Committee several revisions to the Olympic qualification system for the canoeing and kayaking events at the Beijing Olympic Games.
It was agreed at the extraordinary meeting of the ICF Executive that in the first qualifying event for the 2008 Games, at the Duisburg World Championships in 2007, that the first six boats in each of the 12 Olympic disciplines will qualify directly for the 2008 Games.
The second qualifying competition will be the regional continental regattas that will take place in the first few months of 2008, where each continent will be allocated a specific quota of places to fill.
The ICF will guarantee at least one place to each of the continental qualifying competitions.
The ICF Executive has committed to reducing the number of “wildcard” entries to a maximum of eight, and a minimum of five.
“We are committed to upholding the ideals of the Olympic Charter to ensure that the top athletes take part in the Olympic Games, and that there is universality by ensuring the representivity of as many nations as possible”, said ICF President Ulrich Feldhoff.
The Federation currents enjoys an allocations of 350 athletes that may be entered into the canoeing and kayaking events at the Olympic Games, of which 275 are allocated to the flatwater programme, and 75 to slalom racing.
Feldhoff also confirmed that the ICF will be acting firmly against the athletes that tested positive for a cannabis recently. Feldhoff stressed that these cases did not involve any of the athletes taking part at the World Championships, but said the issue will be dealt with firmly.
“We should differentiate the Cannabis cases, but that does not mean we will play them down. I do not want this element to enter our sport at any level. We will deal firmly with these cases”, he added.
For any further information, please contact:
Dave Macleod
ICF Media Officer
+27832225443
dave@canoesa.org.za
It was agreed at the extraordinary meeting of the ICF Executive that in the first qualifying event for the 2008 Games, at the Duisburg World Championships in 2007, that the first six boats in each of the 12 Olympic disciplines will qualify directly for the 2008 Games.
The second qualifying competition will be the regional continental regattas that will take place in the first few months of 2008, where each continent will be allocated a specific quota of places to fill.
The ICF will guarantee at least one place to each of the continental qualifying competitions.
The ICF Executive has committed to reducing the number of “wildcard” entries to a maximum of eight, and a minimum of five.
“We are committed to upholding the ideals of the Olympic Charter to ensure that the top athletes take part in the Olympic Games, and that there is universality by ensuring the representivity of as many nations as possible”, said ICF President Ulrich Feldhoff.
The Federation currents enjoys an allocations of 350 athletes that may be entered into the canoeing and kayaking events at the Olympic Games, of which 275 are allocated to the flatwater programme, and 75 to slalom racing.
Feldhoff also confirmed that the ICF will be acting firmly against the athletes that tested positive for a cannabis recently. Feldhoff stressed that these cases did not involve any of the athletes taking part at the World Championships, but said the issue will be dealt with firmly.
“We should differentiate the Cannabis cases, but that does not mean we will play them down. I do not want this element to enter our sport at any level. We will deal firmly with these cases”, he added.
For any further information, please contact:
Dave Macleod
ICF Media Officer
+27832225443
dave@canoesa.org.za