Pan American Games 2023: A pathway to the Olympic Games Paris 2024

The Pan American Games Santiago 2023 are a key stop on the road to the biggest sports event of next year: the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

There will be more than 100 direct Paris 2024 quotas on offer in 20 different sports (which may be 21 taking into account the unique nature of trampoline) during the Pan American Games, which will be held in Santiago, Chile from 20 October to 5 November.

As a result, the Pan American Games 2023 are a key event for the Olympic aspirations of a large portion of athletes from the Americas.

In this article, direct quotas refer to quotas obtained by a National Olympic Committee (NOC) or under the name of an athlete in certain sports. As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.

This article does not take into account those qualification processes in which Santiago 2023 provides athletes with Olympic ranking points, the publication date of which is after the Pan American Games (as is the case in eight sports) or standards in athletics and swimming, which are key to those qualification processes.

Discover below the direct impact the Pan American Games 2023 will have on the qualification systems for Paris 2024, in which sports direct quotas are at stake, how many quotas are on offer per sport and how athletes can obtain them.

Click here to see the official qualification system for each sport

Qualification systems for Paris 2024: overview of how Santiago 2023 impacts them

*The qualification system in trampoline gymnastics is not hierarchical. Instead, it is based on a principle of minimum continental representation. This means that the 2023 Pan American Games will only serve as a qualifying competition for Paris 2024 if no athlete from the continent obtains a quota via the 2023 World Championships or the 2023 and 2024 Trampoline Individual World Cup Series. In this case, only one athlete, male or female, will obtain a quota in order to meet the minimum continental representation.

Santiago 2023: direct quotas to Paris 2024 on offer at the Pan American Games - sport by sport

Handball: 2 quotas

• Highest ranked women's team - 1 quota
• Highest ranked men's team - 1 quota

Type of quota: Quotas allocated to the NOC

Boxing: 30 quotas

• Women's boxing: 16 quotas (2 in 50 kg, 2 in 54 kg, 4 in 57 kg, 4 in 60 kg, 2 in 66 kg, 2 in 75 kg)
• Men's boxing: 14 quotas (2 in 51 kg, 2 in 57 kg, 2 in 63.5 kg, 2 in 71 kg, 2 in 80 kg, 2 in 92 kg, 2 in +92 kg)

In each gender the quotas will be obtained by the two finalists, with the exception of the women's weight categories of 57 kg and 60 kg, in which the quotas will be obtained by the four semifinalists.

Type of quota: Quotas allocated to the athlete by name

Breaking: 2 quotas

• Best B-boy: 1 quota
• Best B-girl: 1 quota

Type of quota: Quotas allocated to the athlete by name

Diving: 4 quotas (max.)

• Winner in men's springboard 3 m: 1 quota
• Winner in men's 10 m platform: 1 quota
• Winner in women's springboard 3 m: 1 quota
• Winner in women's 10 m platform: 1 quota

At the Pan American Games Santiago 2023 there will only be quotas on offer in individual diving events. If the winners of the gold medal at Santiago 2023 have already qualified for the Olympic Games through the Fukuoka 2023 Aquatics World Championships, those obtained through the 2023 Pan American Games will be void.

Type of quota: Quotas allocated to the NOC

Equestrian (eventing): 2 quotas

The individual events at the Pan American Games 2023 do not serve as qualifiers for Paris 2024 so only team quotas will be on offer. Previously qualified teams are not eligible to obtain quotas. The quotas can be obtained by:

• The highest ranked team from FEI Olympic Groups D and/or E*
• The second-ranked team from FEI Olympic Groups D and/or E*

Type of quota: Quotas allocated to the NOC

Equestrian (dressage): 4 quotas

There will be two quotas on offer in the team event and two more in the individual competition. NOCs that have already obtained a team quota cannot obtain individual quotas.

The quotas at stake are:

• The highest-ranked team from FEI Olympic Groups D and/or E*
• The second highest-ranked team from FEI Olympic Groups D and/or E*
• The highest-ranked in the individual competition from FEI Olympic Groups D and/or E*
• The second highest-ranked in the individual competition from FEI Olympic Groups D and/or E*

Type of quota: Quotas allocated to the NOC

Equestrian (jumping): 6 quotas

There will be three quotas on offer in the team event and three more in the individual competition. NOCs that have already obtained a quota before the Pan American Games 2023 are excluded. NOCs that have already obtained a team quota cannot obtain individual quotas.

Therefore, the quotas at stake are:

• The highest ranked team from FEI Olympic Groups D and/or E*
• The second highest ranked team from FEI Olympic Groups D and/or E*
• The third highest ranked team from FEI Olympic Groups D and/or E*
• The highest ranked in individual competition from FEI Olympic Groups D and/or E*
• The second highest ranked in individual competition from FEI Olympic Groups D and/or E*
• The third highest ranked team from FEI Olympic Groups D and/or E*

Type of quota: Quotas allocated to the NOC

*The FEI Olympic Group D includes NOCs from North America, while the FEI Olympic Group E refers to NOCs from Central and South America

Sport climbing (combined B&L): 2 quotas

The format of the sport climbing competition for Paris 2024 has changed since the last Olympic Games and there will now be two events per gender: Boulder and lead combined, and speed climbing.

Each of these competitions has its own qualification system for Paris 2024. These are the quotas on offer at the Pan American Games 2023 in boulder and lead combined:

• Highest ranked athlete in the men's boulder and lead combined event
• Highest ranked athlete in the women's boulder and lead combined event

If the winners at the Pan American Games 2023 have already obtained a quota in earlier competitions, the quota will be obtained by the next highest-placed athlete at Santiago 2023.

Type of quota: Quotas allocated to the athlete by name

Sport climbing (speed): 2 quotas

• Highest ranked athlete at men's speed event
• Highest ranked athlete at women's speed event

If the winners at the Pan American Games 2023 have already obtained a quota in earlier competitions, the quota will be obtained by the next highest-placed athlete at Santiago 2023.

Type of quota: Quotas allocated to the athlete by name

Hockey: 2 quotas

• Winner of the women's competition - 1 quota
• Winner of the men's competition - 1 quota

Type of quota: Quotas allocated to the NOC

Artistic swimming: 3 quotas

• Winner of the team competition - 1 quota
• Duet from the best team - 1 quota [by obtaining the team quota, the winning team will obtain a quota for their duo]
• Winner in duet competition - 1 quota. If the best duet is from the same NOC as the best team, the Olympic quota will be obtained by the second-highest ranked duet at Santiago 2023

Type of quota: Quotas allocated to the NOC

Modern pentathlon: 10 quotas

There are five quotas per gender at stake for a total of 10.

They will be obtained as follows:

• The first-placed athlete no matter if her/his NOC is from NORCECA or South America
• Two highest placed athletes from NORCECA
• Two highest placed athletes from South America

In addition to direct quotas, athletes in modern pentathlon at Santiago 2023 can obtain points for the Olympic ranking, which is also part of the qualification process.

If an athlete has already obtained a quota through the 2023 World Championships or the UIPM at the World Cup Finals 2023, the quota place for Paris 2024 will be obtained by the next highest-placed athlete.

Type of quota: Quotas allocated to the athlete by name

Water Polo: 2 quotas

• Highest placed NOC in the women's event - 1 quota
• Highest placed NOC in the men's event - 1 quota

Type of quotas: Quotas allocated to the NOC

Surfing: 2 quotas

• Highest placed athlete in the men's event - 1 quota
• Highest placed athlete in the women's event - 1 quota

Type of quotas: Quotas allocated to the athlete by name

Tennis: 4 quotas

• Men's singles winner
• Men's singles runner up
• Women's singles winner
• Women's singles runner up

There will be four quota places on offer in the individual events (two per gender) but none in the doubles events. Quotas will only be allocated if the athlete's ranking is within the top 400 on the Singles Rankings of 10 June 2024 (or any other date established by the ITF in the case of exceptional circumstances), and said athlete is also within the maximum quota of four per NOC.

Type of quotas: Quotas allocated to the athlete by name

Table tennis: 2 quotas

• Highest placed NOC in the mixed team event: 1 quota
• Second highest placed NOC in the mixed team event: 1 quota

At the 2023 Pan American Games there will be no quotas on offer for the Team or Individual events.

Type of quotas: Quotas allocated to the athlete by name

Shooting: 18 quotas

• 10m Air Rifle Men (AR M): 1
• 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men (R3P M): 1
• 10m Air Pistol Men (AP M): 1
• Rapid Fire Pistol Men (RFP M): 2
• Trap Men (TR M): 2
• Skeet Men (SK M): 2
• 10m Air Rifle Women (AR W): 1
• 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women (R3P W): 1
• 10m Air Pistol Women (AP W): 1
• 25m Pistol Women (SP W): 2
• Trap Women (TR W): 2
• Skeet Women (SK W): 2

Quotas are allocated to the NOC of the highest-placed athlete in each event. An athlete can only obtain a single quota for their NOC in any individual event, so in cases in which an athlete has already obtained a quota in a previous tournament, the quota will be allocated to the NOC of the next highest-placed athlete. NOCs can only obtain a maximum of two quotas per gender in each individual event, and only one of those can be obtained at the 2023 Pan American Games.

Type of quotas: Quotas allocated to the NOC

Sailing: 22 quotas

• Windsurfing - Men (iQFoil): 2 quotas [1 for NOCs from Central & South America; 1 for NOCs from North America & Caribbean]
• Windsurfing - Women (iQFoil): 2 quotas [1 for NOCs from Central & South America; 1 for NOCs from North America & Caribbean]
• Kite - Men (Formula Kite): 2 quotas [1 for NOCs from Central & South America; 1 for NOCs from North America & Caribbean]
• Kite - Women (Formula Kite): 2 quotas [1 for NOCs from Central & South America; 1 for NOCs from North America & Caribbean]
• Dinghy - Men (ILCA 7, Laser): 4 quotas [2 for NOCs from Central & South America; 2 for NOCs from North America & Caribbean]
• Dinghy - Women (ILCA 6, Laser Radial): 4 quotas [2 for NOCs from Central & South America; 2 for NOCs from North America & Caribbean]
• Skiff - Men (49er): 2 quotas [1 for NOCs from Central & South America; 1 for NOCs from North America & Caribbean]
• Skiff - Women (49erFx): 2 quotas [1 for NOCs from Central & South America; 1 for NOCs from North America & Caribbean]
• Multihull - Mixed (Nacra 17): 2 quotas [1 for NOCs from Central & South America; 1 for NOCs from North America & Caribbean]

The Santiago 2023 Pan American Games will serve as a qualifier in nine out of the 10 sailing Olympic classes (all but the 470 class).

These quotas will be allocated to the highest placed NOCs not already qualified in each class: one from Central & South America, and one from North America & the Caribbean. As a result, there are two quotas on offer per class and gender (except for the Laser and Laser Radial classes, where there will be two per region (Central & South America or North America & Caribbean), for a total of four quota places per class and gender).

The Sailing qualification system is hierarchical, so NOCs that have already obtained a quota at the 2023 World Sailing Championships are not eligible for a quota in the same event. In the Laser and Laser Radial classes, if one of the NOCs that obtain a quota place in Santiago also secures a quota at the 2024 ILCA World Championships, the quota from the Pan American Games will be reallocated to the next highest placed eligible NOC in the same event.

NOCs can only qualify one boat per event.

Type of quotas: Quotas allocated to the NOC

Archery: 6 quotas

• Mixed team: 2 individual quotas (1 per gender) for the NOC of the highest placed mixed team in Santiago 2023
• Individual events: 4 individual quotas [2 per gender], one for the NOC of each of the two highest placed athletes in Santiago 2023

An NOC can only obtain one quota per gender for the individual event. In cases in which an NOC obtains individual quota places via both the mixed team and individual events in the Pan American Games, the quotas obtained in the mixed event will always take priority.

If an NOC that obtains a mixed team quota has already qualified an athlete from one gender at the 2023 World Archery Championships (as a team or individual) but not the other, they will be allocated only the quota from the gender that has not qualified. The quota for the other gender will be added to the number of available quota places at the final World Archery qualifier.

For more information, see the quota track on World Archery's official website.

Type of quotas: Quotas allocated to the NOC

Rhythmic Gymnastics: 2 quotas

• Individual: 1 quota
• Groups: 1 quota

The individual quota will go to the highest placed athlete in the All-Around final who has not yet obtained a quota through the 2022 or 2023 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships.

The group quota will be allocated to the NOC of the highest placed group in the All-Around competition that has not already qualified via the 2022 or 2023 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships.

Type of quotas: The individual quota will be allocated to the athlete by name; all Group quotas are allocated to the respective NOCs.

Artistic gymnastics: 2 quotas

• Men's Individual All-Around: 1 quota
• Women's Individual All-Around: 1 quota

There will be no team quotas on offer at the 2023 Pan American Games. Individual All-Around quotas will be allocated to the highest placed athlete based on the results of the individual All-Around final. The following athletes are not eligible to obtain a quota: those who have previously obtained a quota in other qualifying competitions; athletes from NOCs with a qualified team; and athletes from NOCs who have already reached the maximum of three individual athletes in their respective gender.

Type of quotas: Quota places are allocated by name