OLYMPIC QUALIFIER SERIES: THE FINAL STAGE ON THE ROAD TO PARIS 2024 BEGINS IN SHANGHAI!

May 16, 2024

Written by Bart de Jong

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The Olympic Qualifier Series, brings together the best athletes in BMX Freestyle, Breaking, Skateboarding and Sport Climbing in a single urban park. The compact events, held over four days, offer fans an immersive Olympic experience that merges sport, art, music and culture. The Shanghai stop on the Series is taking place at the Huangpu Riverside from 16 to 19 May 2024, while the Budapest event will take place at the Ludovika Campus from 20 to 23 June 2024. The two-part Series, taking place in the period leading up to the Olympic Games, will be an important step in determining which athletes qualify for Paris 2024.

The inaugural edition of the Olympic Qualifier Series got underway in Shanghai with an inspiring

welcome celebration, which has set the stage for four days of competition and cultural celebration. Athletes from around the world have arrived in Shanghai to take part in the first stop of the Series, which is a significant milestone on the athletes’ road to Paris 2024.

The Olympic Qualifier Series will see over 460 athletes from 120 national federations competing for the final qualification spots for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in their sports. The festival-style event kicks off with preliminary sports competition rounds today and tomorrow, leading up to a weekend of finals across all four sports.

Giving his first impression of the venue, B-Boy Kid Karam from Great Britain said: “It’s amazing to be around so many incredible athletes from different sports. There are a lot of similarities between the four and the journeys that we’ve been on, so it’s nice to see the athletes from across sports and countries connecting with each other. There is a great vibe of togetherness in the Urban Park! It created an awesome atmosphere and energy for us to be a part of. The arena is incredible too; I can’t wait to get on that stage and perform at my best!”

In total, over 150 quota places for Paris 2024 will be allocated following the Series. The Olympic Qualifier Series employs a points system designed to determine which athletes will secure quota places for Paris 2024.

Qualification and Points System

Athletes in BMX Freestyle, Sport Climbing, and Breaking will compete for a maximum of 50 points at each of the events in Shanghai and Budapest, making a maximum possible total of 100 points per athlete. Points from both stops will be compiled into a ranking for each of the sports, that will determine which athletes earn quota places for Paris 2024.

For Skateboarding, the points system is divided into three parts: results from prior competitions and the results from the Shanghai and Budapest Olympic Qualifier Series events respectively. One-third of the points are allocated from past competitions, while the remaining two-thirds will be up for grabs in Shanghai and Budapest. The combined points from all competitions will give the final ranking.