Badminton at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Qualification
To take part in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in badminton athletes had to go through an almost one-year qualification.
Qualification criteria
172 athletes took part in the competitions, equal distributed over 86 women and men. In the doubles every 16 couples took part in the singles and it was assumed that at least 38 individual starters. Through the targeted equal number of female and male runners for all disciplines in general and the awarded wildcards, the number of participants in the women's singles to 46 and in the men's singles on 40th Every NOK allowed per contest up to three athletes in singles and two doubles pairings at the start bring.
Decisive for the qualification was the world rankings of Badminton World Federation ( BWF) in the individual disciplines with effect from 3 May 2012. In individual an NOC could put three athletes when all three were ranked one to four in the world rankings, two athletes when both were listed at No. 16 and an athlete when it was ranked 17th or worse, until all quota places were distributed. In a double NOK could make two pairings when both were ranked one through eight in the world rankings and a pairing when it was ranked ninth or worse, until the 16 places were filled.
In all disciplines should it take from each continental federation in the competitions at least one athlete, with an NOC could only benefit twice from this rule. In the singles the best-placed athlete a continental federation received a quota place, if there is no athlete could qualify on the regular qualification. In the doubles was the same method, but the pair had to take on the world ranking list, so that a starting place was awarded at least 50th place.
Two starting points were the host NOK guaranteed. The BWF, respectively, the Tripartite Commission could decide freely and those awarded by invitation over quota places three players and three players.
Reserve list
For the case of non- nomination of a qualified athletes by the NOC or other non-consideration reasons such as injury, the starting field in the ranking of the next ranked athlete was filled according to the qualification ranking. As a first concerned the Eric Pang of the Netherlands, should have been the criteria of his NOK among the top 16 in the world, this goal with 40th place qualifying rankings but missed wide. Substitutes was Scott Evans of Ireland. Even the New Zealand NOK claimed at least a chance to rank 16 at the Olympics, so that Michelle Chan and James Eunson were not nominated. Alternates were Kerry -Lee Harrington and Petr Koukal. The Czech Koukal benefited from the scheme that the Australian federation was not allowed to exercise three times a continental grid. Switzerland and Austria nominated Sabrina Jaquet and Simone Prutsch instead of the higher-ranked Jeanine Cicognini and Claudia Mayer in women's singles. Indonesia nominated in women's singles Adriyanti Firdasari in place of Maria Febe Kusumastuti. For Anne Hald from Greece Sara Blengsli Kvaerno moved by Norway. China nominated shortly before the application deadline Li Xuerui in women's singles instead of a spot in front of her lying Wang Shixian. Alternates Kerry -Lee Harrington had to free up just before the end of registration for their place Thilini Jayasinghe from Sri Lanka. After the final deadline on July 9, no further changes could be completed, so that failures were only compensated as part of the IOC Late Replacement Policy to July 20, may be, but this was not the case.
Qualified athletes
Overall, athletes from 51 different NOCs could qualify. Eight athletes and two athletes qualified in two different competitions, so that the number of starting places in the individual increased among women at 46 and men at 40, leading to the demanded equal number of male and female runners, including the contracts to be wildcards. These wildcards were both in the men's singles at Virgil Soeroredjo from Suriname (BWF 221) and Mohamed Rasheed Ajfan of the Maldives (BWF 226) granted.