Many Team Canada athletes will have their eyes on another pretty big prize – Olympic qualification.
The list below will tell you what to watch for and you can always stay up to date with our Tokyo 2020 Qualification Tracker:
The top finisher in each of the men’s and women’s individual events will earn an Olympic spot for their country. Plus, the top team in the mixed team event will earn their country entry into the first ever Olympic mixed team competition.
Gold medals in the team and duet events will give Olympic berths to those winning countries.
Jacqueline Simoneau (left) and Claudia Holzner (right) perform their technical duet routine on Thursday May 30, 2019 in Quebec City. (Credit: Canada Artistic Swimming/Dan Robichaud)
Coming on the heels of the FINA World Championships, which will be the first qualifying opportunity, the highest-ranked athlete in each individual event will secure Olympic spots for their country.
In dressage and eventing, the top two teams not already qualified will earn Olympic quota places, while in jumping it will be the top three teams who scoop up Olympic spots.
The winners of the men’s and women’s tournaments will book their places in Tokyo.
Olympic spots will be awarded to the top-ranked team in each of the men’s and women’s tournaments.
Canada’s Mathew Sarmento, left, and Canada’s Mathew Guest, right, celebrate after their teammate Scott Tupper scores the second goal against Ireland, during a men’s field hockey match at 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
The results of the Pan Am Games will be used retroactively to ensure there is representation from all continents at the Olympic Games. If they don’t qualify for Tokyo 2020 through the world ranking list or global qualification tournament, a gold medal at the Pan Am Games could be their ticket.
There are five Olympic places available to each gender, with a maximum of one per country per event. They will go to the two highest ranked athletes from NORCECA (North America, Central America, Caribbean), the two highest ranked athletes from South America, plus one more from anywhere in the Americas.
There are two Olympic spots to be won in the Laser and Laser Radial events. Canada has already locked up its place in the Laser Radial for Tokyo thanks to Sarah Douglas’ performance at the 2018 World Championships.
There are two Olympic berths available to be won in every individual event. So far Canada has earned one spot in the women’s 10m air pistol thanks to Lynda Kiejko’s gold medal at last year’s continental championships.
The Pan Am Games results will be used retroactively to bring to Tokyo the top-ranked athlete of each gender not qualified through another method.
Mathea Olin competes at the Surf Canada Nationals in May 2018 Photo: Marcus Paladino
The winner and the runner-up in the singles events will earn their way to Tokyo provided that they’re in the top 300 of the ATP/WTA rankings on June 8, 2020 and that the maximum quota for their country isn’t already full via direct qualification from those rankings.
The top-ranked team of each gender not already qualified will earn Olympic spots.
