Race to LA28: BWF Releases Official Olympic Qualification System

KUALA LUMPUR – The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has officially released the qualification system for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, outlining the path for the world’s best shuttlers to reach the courts in California.

The document, finalized as of December 10, 2025, confirms that the “Race to LA” will officially begin in May 2027, maintaining the sport’s rigorous and highly competitive selection process.

Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the system that will determine the 172 athletes competing at the XXXIV Olympiad.

The Numbers: 172 Athletes, Total Gender Parity

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and BWF have maintained the total athlete quota at 172, split evenly with 86 men and 86 women.

This total includes:

166 Regular Quota Places (83 men, 83 women).
2 Host Country Places (1 male, 1 female for the United States).
4 Universality Places (2 men, 2 women).

The competition will feature five medal events: Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles.

The Qualification Timeline

The most critical date for federations and athletes is May 3, 2027. This marks the start of the Olympic Qualifying Period, which will run for a full year until April 30, 2028.

The official LA28 Olympic Ranking, published on May 2, 2028, will be the definitive list used to allocate quota places.

Key Dates to Watch:

3 May 2027 – 30 April 2028: The Ranking Period.
15 January 2028: Deadline for National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to request Universality Places.
2 May 2028: Publication of the LA28 Olympic Ranking.
8 May 2028: Deadline for the Host Country (USA) to confirm use of host slots.
10 May 2028: BWF informs NOCs of their allocated quotas.
26 June 2028: Final Sport Entries deadline for the Games.
14–30 July 2028: The Los Angeles Olympic Games.

To be eligible, athletes must play in a minimum of three tournaments during the qualifying period and appear on the LA28 Olympic Ranking list.

How to Qualify: The Rules of the Road

The qualification system rewards consistency across major BWF tournaments. Results from the Thomas & Uber Cup Finals, Sudirman Cup, World Championships, Continental Championships, and BWF Tour events (Grade 2 and 3) will all count toward the ranking.

Singles Qualification (38 Places per Event)

The singles events will feature 38 athletes each.

Two Players Per Country: An NOC can field two athletes in a singles event only if both are ranked in the top 16 of the LA28 Olympic Ranking.
One Player Per Country: If an NOC does not have two players in the top 16, they are limited to one athlete, provided that athlete is listed in the rankings.

Doubles Qualification (16 Pairs per Event)

The doubles events are more exclusive, featuring 16 pairs (32 athletes) per discipline.

Two Pairs Per Country: An NOC can qualify two pairs only if both are ranked in the top 8.
One Pair Per Country: Otherwise, each NOC is limited to one pair.

The maximum total team size for any single NOC is capped at 8 men and 8 women (16 athletes total).

Ensuring Global Representation

The BWF has embedded mechanisms to ensure the Olympics remain a truly global event.

Continental Representation Places are guaranteed for each of the five BWF Continental Confederations (Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, Pan America).

Singles: At least two athletes from each continent will qualify, provided they are ranked within the top 250.
Doubles: At least one pair from each continent will qualify, provided they are ranked within the top 50.

An NOC is limited to qualifying athletes in a maximum of two events via this Continental Representation system. If an NOC is eligible in more than two events through this specific pathway, they must choose which quotas to accept.

Host Country and Universality

As the host nation, the United States is guaranteed at least one entry in Men’s Singles and one in Women’s Singles.

If US athletes qualify directly through the LA28 Olympic Ranking (which is highly likely given their current standing in global badminton), these host spots are not used and are reallocated to the next eligible athlete on the ranking list.

Additionally, four Universality Places (two per singles gender) are available to eligible NOCs to ensure smaller sporting nations have a chance to compete. These are allocated by the Tripartite Commission.

Reallocation: Filling the Draw

If an NOC declines a quota place—or if a quota place is not confirmed by the deadline—the spot goes to the next highest-ranked eligible athlete/pair on the LA28 Olympic Ranking.

Double Qualification: If an athlete qualifies in more than one event (e.g., Mixed Doubles and Men’s Doubles), the unused athlete quota place generated by this overlap is allocated to the next eligible athlete in the singles event of the same gender.

With the rules now set in stone, the countdown to Los Angeles begins. For the world’s elite players, the next 18 months will be about preparation, but starting May 2027, every match will count toward the ultimate dream: an Olympic medal in LA.

Quick Fact Sheet: LA28 Badminton Qualification

Category	Details
Total Quota	172 Athletes (86 Men, 86 Women)
Events	Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles
Qualifying Period	3 May 2027 – 30 April 2028
Ranking Date	2 May 2028
Max Per NOC	2 per event (if top ranked), Max 16 athletes total
Host	United States (Guaranteed 1 Men’s Singles, 1 Women’s Singles)