World Athletics publishes the qualification system for athletics at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, with the competition scheduled for July 15–30, 2028. The published framework sets event-specific entry standards, qualification periods and quota allocation, and it outlines how athletes can earn Olympic places either by meeting standards or via World Athletics world rankings.
Across reports, outlets say the system shifts toward rankings compared with Paris 2024. World Athletics expects about 40% of athletes to qualify through entry standards and about 60% through world rankings, rather than a 50/50 split used at Paris. Several standards are described as more demanding—especially in sprints and middle-distance events—such as the men’s 100 metres standard moving to 9.93 seconds and the women’s to 10.96 seconds.
One outlet further details that achieving an entry standard does not automatically guarantee a place if too many athletes meet it; in such cases, places are decided by the best performances during the qualification window. That outlet also specifies varying qualification windows by event type and notes the athletics programme includes 48 events with 23 men’s and 23 women’s, plus two mixed events, including the debut of the mixed 4x100m relay.
