Hockey will once again be part of the Olympic programme for Paris 2024 where 12 women’s and 12 men’s teams will aim for glory at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir. Find out everything you need to know about the number of athletes, teams to watch and pathway to qualification below.
Hockey made its debut at the Olympics during the London Games in 1908. Other than the 1912 and 1924 Games, the men’s competition has been a mainstay of the Olympic programme ever since, while the women’s competition was added to the programme at Moscow 1980 where Zimbabwe ran out winners.
Tokyo 2020 saw a spirited men’s Belgium side climb onto the top step of the podium for the first time in their history, while in the women’s tournament the Netherlands took a third victory in four Olympics with a 3-1 win over Argentina.
For Paris 2024, there will once again be one competition for men and one for women, with all the action taking place at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir. Find out everything you need to know about the pathway to qualification below.
How many athletes will compete in hockey at Paris 2024?
Both the men’s and women’s tournament will feature 12 teams vying for gold at Paris 2024, with a total of 384 athletes (192 women and 192 men) taking part.
As hosts, France will receive one quota for their men’s team and one for their women’s, with 16 athletes per team – after they each achieved a ranking of 25 or better in the FIH World Rankings after the end of the Tokyo 2020 Games.
All others NOCs will be able to qualify a single team for each of the men’s and women’s competitions, with 16 athletes per team.
What is the hockey qualification pathway for Paris 2024?
For the 24 teams (384 athletes) hoping to qualify for Paris 2024, the following competitions will provide them with a pathway to the Games.
The winners of each of the five continental championships (for each gender) will earn one quota place each for their NOC:
African Hockey Road to Paris 2023
Pan American Games 2023
Asian Games 2023
EuroHockey Championship 2023
Oceania Cup 2023
If France win the EuroHockey Championships 2023, their quota place will be allocated to the following Olympic Qualification Tournaments below:
Four FIH Olympic Qualification Tournaments (two per gender) consisting of eight teams each (16 teams total) will be held in 2024. The top three teams in each of these tournaments will earn a single quota place for their NOC (six in total). This number will rise to seven if France win the EuroHockey Championship 2023, with the last quota place offered to the highest ranked of the two teams that finished fourth in the Olympic Qualification Tournaments.
Invites to the qualification tournaments will be based on continental quotas, determined by the number of nations from each continent who are World Ranked in the top 22 Olympic eligible nations on 31 January 2023
From these 22 quotas, the continents of the six nations already qualified will be removed, leaving 16 continental quotas filled by the highest finishing nations in each continental championship who have not already qualified for Paris 2024.
Hockey qualification timeline for Paris 2024
30 March 2022: IOC Executive Board approves draft Qualification System
1 February 2023: Continental quotas, including reserves, for the FIH Olympic Qualification Tournaments confirmed
Expected April 2023: Oceania Cup: TBC
Expected July/August 2023: African Road to Paris: TBC
August 2023: EuroHockey Nations Championship: Monchengladbach, Germany
23 September – 8 October 2023: 19th Asian Games: Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
10 October – 5 November 2023: 19th Pan American Games: Santiago, Chile
6 November 2023: Teams, dates and venues for FIH Olympic Qualification Tournaments confirmed
January/February 2024: FIH Olympic Qualification tournaments
Within five days after the FIH Olympic Qualification Tournaments: FIH to confirm in writing to the NOCs the quota places obtained
Two weeks after the FIH Olympic Qualification Tournaments: The NOCs to confirm to FIH the use of the allocated quota places
Within five days after each previous step: FIH to reallocate all unused quota places
8 July 2024: Paris 2024 Sport Entries deadline
26 July – 11 August 2024: Olympic Games Paris 2024
