World Athletics announces LA 2028 qualification rules for Track and Field

Athletes aiming to compete in the athletic events at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games will have to organize their qualification strategy based on the new eligibility process, performance marks, and world rankings under the standards announced by World Athletics.

The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics are scheduled to take place from July 15 to July 30, 2028. According to World Athletics, the qualification system has been drawn according to the data of four major international events including the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. These standards are made while maintaining participation within set event quotas.

The qualification process will determine how quotas are distributed among the 48 events in athletics at the Olympic Games. Instead of basing qualification on the times/distance achieved by athletes, World Athletics is combining the automatic entry standards with world rankings.

Around 40 percent of the spots will be earned by athletes meeting the standards, while remaining 60 percent will be from ranking positions. The qualification period for each individual sport will not begin on the same date.

The qualification process will start for marathon runners from November 1, 2026. For the 10,000m, the combined events, race walks, and relays, the qualification period will commence from December 19, 2026. For most track and field events, performances will count from June 19, 2027, to June 18, 2028.

The relay competitions will provide an important route towards qualifying for the Olympics. The 2028 World Athletics Relays will be held in The Bahamas, with the top 14 nations getting automatic qualification.

Teams that do not secure a place on the opening day will have another opportunity on day two, with remaining positions determined through world performance lists.

Individual athletes will also face strict performance requirements. The men’s 100 metres standard is 9.93 seconds, while in the women's category it is 10.96 seconds. For the 200m, the targets are 19.95 and 22.25 seconds for the men and women events respectively.

World Athletics has also added a new event in the Olympic programme: the mixed 4x100m relay. Its introduction will add another medal opportunity for all the athletes.

To keep track of the qualification process, the authorities have planned to introduce its Road to LA online tracker in the second half of 2027. Athletes and fans will be able to follow progress as competitors work towards securing places.