Swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification

A National Olympic Committee (NOC) may enter a maximum of two qualified athletes in each individual event, but only if both athletes have attained the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT). One athlete per event can potentially enter if they meet the Olympic Selection Time (OST) or if the quota of 878 athletes has not been targeted. NOCs may also permit swimmers regardless of time (one per gender) under a Universality place, as long as they have no swimmers reaching either of the standard entry times (OQT/OST).[1]

In the relay events, a maximum of 16 qualifying teams in each relay event must be permitted to accumulate a total of 112 relay teams; each NOC may enter only one team. The first twelve teams in each relay event at the 2019 World Championships will automatically compete for the relay events at the Olympics; while the remaining four per relay event must obtain their fastest entry times based on the FINA World Rankings during the process.[1]

Following the end of the qualification period, FINA will assess the number of athletes having achieved the OQT, the number of relay-only swimmers, and the number of Universality places, before inviting athletes with OST to fulfill the total quota of 878. Additionally, OST places will be distributed by event according to the position of the FINA World Rankings during the qualifying deadline.[1]

The qualifying time standards must be obtained in World Championships, Continental Championships, Continental Qualification Events, National Championships and Trials, or International Competitions approved by FINA in the period between 1 March 2019 to 29 June 2021.[1]

The initial FINA qualifying standards, still to be ratified, are as follows:[2][1]

Those who have achieved the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT) or the Olympic Selection Time (OST), or have been guaranteed a Universality place are listed below for each of the following individual events:

Men's 50 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 22.01	2	France
	2	Great Britain
	2	Italy
	2	Japan
	2	United States
	1	Algeria	Oussama Sahnoune
	1	Brazil
	1	Canada
	1	Egypt	Ali Khalafalla
	1	Germany
	1	Greece	Kristian Gkolomeev
	1	Hungary
	1	Israel	Meiron Cheruti
	1	Netherlands
	1	Poland	Paweł Juraszek
	1	Russia
	1	South Africa
	1	Ukraine	Vladyslav Bukhov
Olympic Selection Time – 22.67	1
Universality Places	1
Total	23

Men's 100 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 48.57	2	Australia
	2	Brazil
	2	France
	2	Italy
	2	Japan
	2	Russia
	2	United States
	1	Algeria	Oussama Sahnoune
	1	Belgium	Pieter Timmers
	1	Canada
	1	China
	1	Great Britain
	1	Hungary
	1	Netherlands
	1	Trinidad and Tobago	Dylan Carter
Olympic Selection Time – 50.03	1
Universality Places	1
Total	22

Men's 200 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 1:47.02	2	Australia
	2	China
	2	Great Britain
	2	Hungary
	2	Italy
	2	Russia
	2	United States
	1	Brazil
	1	Germany
	1	Japan
	1	Lithuania	Danas Rapšys
	1	Netherlands
	1	Serbia	Velimir Stjepanović
Olympic Selection Time – 1:50.23	1
Universality Places	1
Total	19

Men's 400 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 3:46.78	2	Australia
	2	China
	2	Italy
	2	Russia
	1	Brazil
	1	Germany
	1	Hungary
	1	Lithuania	Danas Rapšys
	1	United States
Olympic Selection Time – 3:53.58	1
Universality Places	1
Total	13

Men's 800 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 7:54.31	2	Australia
	2	Denmark
	2	France	David Aubry
	2	Germany	Florian Wellbrock
	2	Italy
	2	Russia
	2	Ukraine	Serhiy Frolov Mykhailo Romanchuk
	2	United States
	1	Austria	Felix Auböck
	1	Brazil
	1	China
	1	Croatia	Franko Grgić
	1	Czech Republic	Jan Micka
	1	Great Britain
	1	Greece	Konstantinos Englezakis
	1	Norway	Henrik Christiansen
	1	Poland	Wojciech Wojdak
	1	Serbia	Vuk Čelić
	1	Tunisia	Ahmed Hafnaoui
	1	Vietnam	Nguyễn Huy Hoàng
Olympic Selection Time – 8:08.54	1
Universality Places	1
Total	27

Men's 1500 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 15:00.99	2	Croatia	Franko Grgić Marin Mogić
	2	Denmark
	2	France
	2	Germany	Florian Wellbrock
	2	Italy	Gregorio Paltrinieri
	2	Ukraine	Serhiy Frolov Mykhailo Romanchuk
	2	United States
	1	Australia
	1	Brazil
	1	China
	1	Czech Republic	Jan Micka
	1	Great Britain
	1	Hungary
	1	Norway	Henrik Christiansen
	1	Russia
	1	Vietnam	Nguyễn Huy Hoàng
Olympic Selection Time – 15:28.02	1
Universality Places	1
Total	23

Men's 100 m backstroke

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 53.85	2	Australia
	2	Italy
	2	Romania	Robert Glință Daniel Martin
	2	Russia
	2	United States
	1	Belarus	Mikita Tsmyh
	1	Brazil
	1	Canada
	1	China
	1	France
	1	Great Britain
	1	Greece	Apostolos Christou
	1	Ireland	Shane Ryan
	1	Singapore	Quah Zheng Wen
Olympic Selection Time – 55.47	1
Universality Places	1
Total	19

Men's 200 m backstroke

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 1:57.50	2	Australia
	2	China
	2	Great Britain
	2	Italy
	2	Japan
	2	Russia
	2	United States
	1	Canada
	1	Germany
	1	Hungary
	1	Poland	Radosław Kawęcki
	1	South Africa
Olympic Selection Time – 2:01.03	1
Universality Places	1
Total	19

Men's 100 m breaststroke

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 59.93	2	Australia
	2	Brazil
	2	China
	2	Great Britain
	2	Italy	Nicolò Martinenghi
	2	Japan
	2	Russia
	2	Turkey	Berkay-Ömer Öğretir Hüseyin Emre Sakçı
	2	United States
	1	Belarus	Ilya Shymanovich
	1	Denmark
	1	Ireland	Darragh Greene
	1	Kazakhstan	Dmitriy Balandin
	1	Lithuania	Andrius Šidlauskas
	1	Netherlands	Arno Kamminga
	1	Serbia	Čaba Silađi
	1	South Africa
Olympic Selection Time – 1:01.73	1
Universality Places	1
Total	26

Men's 200 m breaststroke

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 2:10.35	2	Australia
	2	China
	2	Germany	Marco Koch
	2	Great Britain
	2	Italy
	2	Japan
	2	Russia
	2	United States
	1	Austria	Christopher Rothbauer
	1	Finland	Matti Mattsson
	1	Iceland	Anton Sveinn McKee
	1	Ireland	Darragh Greene
	1	Kazakhstan	Dmitriy Balandin
	1	Netherlands	Arno Kamminga
	1	South Korea
	1	Sweden	Erik Persson
	1	Ukraine	Mykyta Koptyelov
Olympic Selection Time – 2:14.26	1
Universality Places	1
Total	25

Men's 100 m butterfly

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 51.96	2	Australia
	2	Hungary
	2	Italy
	2	Russia
	2	Singapore	Quah Zheng Wen Joseph Schooling
	2	United States
	1	Argentina	Santiago Grassi
	1	Brazil
	1	Bulgaria	Josif Miladinov
	1	China
	1	France
	1	Germany	Marius Kusch
	1	Great Britain
	1	Guatemala	Luis Martínez
	1	Israel	Tomer Frankel
	1	Japan
	1	South Africa
Olympic Selection Time – 53.52	1
Universality Places	1
Total	23

Men's 200 m butterfly

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 1:56.48	2	Australia
	2	Hungary
	2	Japan
	2	United States
	1	Belgium	Louis Croenen
	1	Brazil
	1	Bulgaria	Antani Ivanov
	1	Germany
	1	Italy
	1	Poland
	1	Russia
	1	South Africa
	1	Chinese Taipei	Wang Kuan-hung
	1	Ukraine	Denys Kesil
Olympic Selection Time – 1:59.97	1
Universality Places	1
Total	18

Men's 200 m individual medley

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 1:59.67	2	Australia
	2	China
	2	Great Britain
	2	Greece	Apostolos Papastamos Andreas Vazaios
	2	Hungary
	2	Japan	Daiya Seto
	2	Portugal	Gabriel Lópes Alexis Santos
	2	United States
	1	Brazil
	1	Canada
	1	Germany	Philip Heintz
	1	Israel	Ron Polonsky
	1	Italy
	1	Lithuania	Danas Rapšys
	1	Luxembourg	Raphaël Stacchiotti
	1	Russia
	1	Spain
	1	Switzerland	Jérémy Desplanches
	1	Chinese Taipei	Wang Hsing-hao
Olympic Selection Time – 2:03.26	1
Universality Places	1
Total	27

Men's 400 m individual medley

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 4:15.84	2	Australia
	2	Germany	Jacob Heidtmann
	2	Hungary
	2	Japan	Daiya Seto
	2	Russia
	2	United States
	1	Azerbaijan	Maksym Shemberev
	1	Great Britain
	1	Greece	Apostolos Papastamos
	1	Italy
	1	Netherlands
	1	New Zealand
	1	Spain
	1	Switzerland	Jérémy Desplanches
Olympic Selection Time – 4:21.46	1
Universality Places	1
Total	20

Women's 50 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 24.77	2	Australia
	2	China
	2	Netherlands	Femke Heemskerk Ranomi Kromowidjojo
	2	Sweden	Sarah Sjöström
	2	United States
	1	Denmark
	1	France
	1	Great Britain
	1	Poland
	1	Russia
Olympic Selection Time – 25.51	1
Universality Places	1
Total	15

Women's 100 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 54.38	2	Australia
	2	Canada
	2	China
	2	Denmark
	2	France
	2	Great Britain
	2	Netherlands	Femke Heemskerk
	2	Sweden	Sarah Sjöström
	2	United States
	1	Czech Republic	Barbora Seemanová
	1	Hong Kong	Siobhan Haughey
	1	Italy
	1	Japan
	1	Russia
	1	Spain
Olympic Selection Time – 56.01	1
Universality Places	1
Total	24

Women's 200 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 1:57.28	2	Australia
	2	Canada
	2	Russia
	2	United States
	1	China
	1	Czech Republic	Barbora Seemanová
	1	France
	1	Hong Kong	Siobhan Haughey
	1	Hungary
	1	Italy
	1	Japan
	1	Netherlands
	1	Sweden	Sarah Sjöström
Olympic Selection Time – 2:00.80	1
Universality Places	1
Total	17

Women's 400 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 4:07.90	2	Australia
	2	China
	2	Germany
	2	Hungary
	2	Russia
	2	United States
	1	Argentina	Delfina Pignatiello
	1	Great Britain
	1	Italy
	1	Spain
Olympic Selection Time – 4:15.34	1
Universality Places	1
Total	16

Women's 800 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 8:33.36	2	Australia
	2	China
	2	Germany	Sarah Köhler
	2	Italy
	2	Japan
	2	Spain
	2	United States
	1	Argentina	Delfina Pignatiello
	1	Austria	Marlene Kahler
	1	Hungary
	1	Liechtenstein	Julia Hassler
	1	Russia
	1	Slovenia	Tjaša Oder
	1	Turkey	Beril Böcekler
Olympic Selection Time – 8:48.76	1
Universality Places	1
Total	21

Women's 1500 m freestyle

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 16:32.04	2	Australia
	2	Canada
	2	China
	2	Germany	Sarah Köhler
	2	Hungary
	2	Italy	Simona Quadarella
	2	Japan
	2	Portugal	Diana Durães Tamila Holub
	2	Spain
	2	Turkey	Beril Böcekler Merve Tuncel
	2	United States
	1	Argentina	Delfina Pignatiello
	1	Austria	Marlene Kahler
	1	Brazil
	1	Chile	Kristel Köbrich
	1	France
	1	Liechtenstein	Julia Hassler
	1	Russia
	1	Slovenia	Tjaša Oder
Olympic Selection Time – 17:01.80	1
Universality Places	1
Total	30

Women's 100 m backstroke

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 1:00.25	2	Australia
	2	Canada
	2	China
	2	Hungary
	2	Italy
	2	Russia
	2	United States
	1	Czech Republic	Simona Kubová
	1	Denmark
	1	France
	1	Germany	Laura Riedemann
	1	Great Britain
	1	Hong Kong	Stephanie Au
	1	Japan
	1	Netherlands	Kira Toussaint
Olympic Selection Time – 1:02.06	1
Universality Places	1
Total	22

Women's 200 m backstroke

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 2:10.39	2	Australia
	2	Canada
	2	China
	2	Great Britain
	2	Hungary
	2	Japan
	2	Russia
	2	United States
	1	Austria	Lena Grabowski
	1	Italy	Margherita Panziera
	1	Moldova	Tatiana Salcuțan
	1	New Zealand
	1	Spain
	1	Ukraine	Daryna Zevina
Olympic Selection Time – 2:14.30	1
Universality Places	1
Total	22

Women's 100 m breaststroke

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 1:07.07	2	Australia
	2	Great Britain
	2	Italy
	2	Japan
	2	Russia
	2	United States
	1	Argentina	Julia Sebastián
	1	Belgium	Fanny Lecluyse
	1	Canada
	1	China
	1	Jamaica	Alia Atkinson
	1	Netherlands
	1	South Africa
	1	Spain
Olympic Selection Time – 1:09.08	1
Universality Places	1
Total	20

Women's 200 m breaststroke

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 2:25.52	2	Australia
	2	Canada
	2	China
	2	Japan
	2	Russia
	2	South Africa
	2	Spain
	2	United States
	1	Argentina	Julia Sebastián
	1	Belgium	Fanny Lecluyse
	1	Great Britain
	1	Hungary
	1	Italy
	1	Switzerland	Lisa Mamie
Olympic Selection Time – 2:29.89	1
Universality Places	1
Total	22

Women's 100 m butterfly

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 57.92	2	Australia
	2	Canada
	2	France
	2	Italy
	2	Russia
	2	Sweden	Louise Hansson Sarah Sjöström
	2	United States
	1	Belarus	Anastasiya Shkurdai
	1	China
	1	Germany
	1	Greece	Anna Ntountounaki
	1	Hungary
	1	Japan
Olympic Selection Time – 59.66	1
Universality Places	1
Total	20

Women's 200 m butterfly

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 2:08.43	2	Australia
	2	China
	2	Great Britain
	2	Hungary
	2	Japan
	2	United States
	1	Germany
	1	Portugal	Ana Monteiro
	1	Russia
Olympic Selection Time – 2:12.28	1
Universality Places	1
Total	15

Women's 200 m individual medley

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 2:12.56	2	Australia
	2	Canada
	2	China
	2	Great Britain
	2	Japan
	2	United States
	1	France
	1	Hungary
	1	Israel	Anastasia Gorbenko
	1	Italy
	1	South Korea
	1	Switzerland	Maria Ugolkova
	1	Turkey	Viktoriya Zeynep Güneş
Olympic Selection Time – 2:16.54	1
Universality Places	1
Total	19

Women's 400 m individual medley

Qualification standard	No. of athletes	NOC	Qualified swimmers
Olympic Qualifying Time – 4:38.53	2	Canada
	2	Spain
	2	United States
	1	China
	1	France
	1	Great Britain
	1	Hungary
	1	Italy
	1	Japan
	1	Serbia	Anja Crevar
Olympic Selection Time – 4:46.89	1
Universality Places	1
Total	13

Men's 4×100 m freestyle relay

Qualification event	No. of teams	Qualified teams
2019 World Championships	12	United States  Great Britain  Russia  Australia  Italy  Brazil  France  Hungary  Japan  Greece  Germany  Poland
Best times of non-qualifiers	4
Total	16

Men's 4×200 m freestyle relay

Qualification event	No. of teams	Qualified teams
2019 World Championships	12	Italy  Russia  United States  Australia  China  Brazil  Great Britain  Germany  Japan  Israel  Poland  Switzerland
Best times of non-qualifiers	4	France
Total	16

Men's 4×100 m medley relay

Qualification event	No. of teams	Qualified teams
2019 World Championships	12	Russia  United States  Japan  Great Britain  Australia  Brazil  China  Germany  Belarus  Canada  Lithuania  Hungary
Best times of non-qualifiers	4
Total	16

Women's 4×100 m freestyle relay

Qualification event	No. of teams	Qualified teams
2019 World Championships	12	Australia  Canada  Sweden  United States  Japan  Netherlands  China  Germany  Russia  Hong Kong  Czech Republic  Poland
Best times of non-qualifiers	4	France
Total	16

Women's 4×200 m freestyle relay

Qualification event	No. of teams	Qualified teams
2019 World Championships	12	Australia  United States  Russia  China  Germany  Canada  Hungary  Japan  Poland  New Zealand  Hong Kong  South Korea
Best times of non-qualifiers	4	France
Total	16

Women's 4×100 m medley relay

Qualification event	No. of teams	Qualified teams
2019 World Championships	12	United States  Australia  Italy  Canada  China  Sweden  Great Britain  Japan  Germany  Netherlands  Switzerland  Russia
Best times of non-qualifiers	4	France
Total	16

Mixed 4×100 m medley relay

Qualification event	No. of teams	Qualified teams
2019 World Championships	12	United States  Australia  Russia  Great Britain  Canada  Italy  Netherlands  Germany  Belarus  Israel  Poland  Hungary
Best times of non-qualifiers	4
Total	16