The final Olympic qualifier for Tokyo 2021 that had to take place in Paris this June has been canceled.
A total of 53 quotas had to be determined at the qualifier event, but now they will be assigned based on rankings instead, with the best-ranked boxer per region, per weight category receiving a Tokyo 2020 berth.
Meanwhile, the European qualifier that was postponed twice already will now take place in June at a location yet to be confirmed.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Boxing Task Force (BTF) said the changes to the qualification system ensure athletes from all regions have an equal chance to qualify for the Games.
Argentinian capital Buenos Aires has been confirmed as the destination for the Americas qualifier, from May 10 to 16.
An Asia-Oceania qualifier was held in Jordan last year, while Senegal hosted the African event.
The European event, at London 2012 venue the Copper Box, was called off after three days of the competition last March because of the escalating coronavirus crisis.
Athlete recovery times have been increased thanks to the updated qualification system – “reinforcing the BTF’s focus on medical and safety considerations” – and the BTF added that it protects both its rankings and the Tokyo 2020 seeding system.
