Club Nautic Arenal - veneu for Trofeo Princesa Sofia and 470 Europeans - 21 Mar 2016
TROFEO PRINCESA SOFIA IS FINAL BATTLEGROUND FOR OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION
21 Mar 2016The 2016 470 European Championships is preceded by the final Continental Olympic Qualification opportunities atTrofeo Princesa Sofia, where nation slots are on offer for Europe and Africa. A make or break line on the journey to the Rio 2016 Olympics.
At Trofeo Princesa Sofia, Olympic qualification places are up for grabs in each of the ten Olympic events for one European nation, and to one nation from Africa in each of the Finn, 470 Women, 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 events. Daily highlights and interviews will be available.
So this tough battle to make it to the Olympics will hit a climax on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca. Teams have been gearing up in Mallorca for several weeks, and are now ready and waiting for the real action to get underway, when racing kicks off on Monday 28 March 2016. The pressures of Olympic Qualification and team selection just continue to intensify.
With nation qualification wrapped up at Trofeo Princesa Sofia, the 2016 470 Europeans marks the final selection event for many nations. Five months out from the Olympic Games, the majority of teams are already selected for Rio 2016, but for others the performance targets they have to hit continue to escalate, with numerous teams sitting on the cusp of securing their nation’s Olympic ticket and the Olympic call-up.
The Qualification System for the Games of the XXXI Olympiad Rio 2016 sets out the qualification system for each of the ten Olympic Sailing events. There are 26 quota places in the 470 Men and 20 in the 470 Women, and with so few places on offer compared to the number of nations sailing in the two 470 events, places are fiercely contested. As host nation, Brazil is awarded an automatic place in each of the ten Olympic events.
So at Trofeo Princesa Sofia, there is just 1 nation spot on offer for the European nations in the 470 Men, and 1 nation spot on offer for each of one European nation and one African nation in the 470 Women. The final nations in contention for these spots will only be known once entries to Trofeo Princesa Sofia closes and the final entry list line-up is confirmed. Based on the current entry list, nations in contention are:
470 Men - European Nations: Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Ukraine
470 Women - European Nations: Estonia, Finland, Greece, Israel, Italy, Switzerland*, Turkey, Ukraine
470 Women - African Nations*: no nations entered and based on their finishing position at the 2015 470 Worlds, Switzerland is allocated a spot at Rio 2016 as confirmed by World Sailing on 24 March 2016.
As there was no nation from Africa competing in the 470 Women, then according to the Olympic Qualification System, this quota place was awarded to the next unqualified nation from the 2015 470 World Championships.
Nations already qualified to the Rio 2016 Olympics are:
| Men | Qualification Event | Women | Qualification Event | |
| Angola | 1 | 2016 African Continental Qualifier - Cape Town, South Africa | ||
| Argentina | 1 | 2015 470 Worlds - Haifa, Israel | ||
| Australia | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain | 1 | 2015 470 Worlds - Haifa, Israel |
| Austria | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain |
| Brazil | 1 | Host Nation | 1 | Host Nation |
| Canada | 1 | 2016 North American Continental Qualifier - Miami, USA | 1 | |
| Chile | 1 | 2016 South American Continental Qualifier - Miami, USA | 1 | 2016 South American Continental Qualifier - Miami, USA |
| China | 1 | 2015 Asian Continental Qualifier - Qingdao, China | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain |
| Croatia | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain | ||
| Finland | 1 | 2015 470 Worlds - Haifa, Israel | ||
| France | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain |
| Germany | 1 | 2015 470 Worlds - Haifa, Israel | 1 | 2015 470 Worlds - Haifa, Israel |
| Great Britain | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain |
| Greece | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain | ||
| Israel | 1 | 2015 470 Worlds - Haifa, Israel | ||
| Japan | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain |
| Korea | 1 | 2015 Oceania Continental Qualifier - place awarded on 2015 470 Worlds result | ||
| Netherlands | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain | ||
| New Zealand | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain |
| Poland | 1 | 2015 470 Worlds - Haifa, Israel | ||
| Russia | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain |
| Singapore | 1 | 2015 Asian Continental Qualifier - Qingdao, China | ||
| Slovenia | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain | ||
| South Africa | 1 | 2015 470 Worlds - Haifa, Israel | ||
| Spain | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain | 1 | 2015 Oceania Continental Qualifier - place awarded on 2015 470 Worlds result |
| Sweden | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain | ||
| Switzerland | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain | 1 | 2016 African Continental Qualifier - place awarded on 2015 470 Worlds result |
| Turkey | 1 | |||
| USA | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain | 1 | 2014 ISAF Worlds - Santander, Spain |
| TOTALS | 25 | 18 |
In accordance with the Olympic Qualification System, the NOCs/MNAs of qualified nations must confirm or otherwise uptake of their slot by 1 June 2016, after which the unused quota places will be reallocated. Reallocation of the quota place will be awarded to the next best ranked NOC, irrespective of continent, not yet qualified, based on the results of the 2015 470 World Championship.
