A total of 148 quota spots are available to athletes to compete at the games. A maximum of 18 athletes can be entered by a National Olympic Committee, with a maximum of 9 men or 9 women. A further ten team trophy quotas can be distributed to countries qualifying for the team event, but not the discipline itself. This means up to a maximum of 158 athletes can partake. If these additional ten quotas are not used, then the host (South Korea) may use them to qualify for each event, but may not qualify for the team event by use of these additional quotas.[1]
Skater qualification
There is no individual athlete qualification to the Olympics; the choice of which athlete(s) to send to the Games is at the discretion of each country's National Olympic Committee. Each country is allowed a maximum of three entries per discipline, resulting in a maximum of 18 athletes (nine men and nine women) possible per country.
According to ISU rules, countries must select their entries from among skaters who have achieved a minimum technical elements score (TES) at an ISU-recognized international competition on or before 29 January 2018.[1]
Countries were able to qualify entries to the 2018 Winter Olympics in two ways. Most spots were allocated based on the results of the 2017 World Championships. At the event, countries were able to qualify up to three entries in each discipline according to the usual system in place; countries which earned multiple spots to the Olympics also earned multiple spots to the 2018 World Championships. Every discipline qualified separately.
At the World Championships, the system was as follows:
Number of skaters/teams entered at Worlds
To earn 3 entries to the Olympics
To earn 2 entries to the Olympics
To earn 1 entry to the Olympics
1
Place in the top 2
Place in the top 10
Next best ranked athlete from the NFs not qualified with two or three places, until the quotas of qualification through the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2017 are reached.
2
Total placements is equal to or less than 13
Total placements is equal to or less than 28
3
Top two placements is equal to or less than 13
Top two placements is equal to or less than 28
according to rule 378(2) of ISU any competitor who failed to qualify for the free program received a maximum placement score of 18, and any competitor who qualified for the free program received a maximum placement score of 16.[3]
Qualification spots available per tournament
The results of the 2017 World Championships determined 83 total spots: 24 entries in each singles discipline, 16 in pairs, and 19 in ice dance. The available spots were awarded going down the results list, with multiple spots being awarded first.
The remainder of the spots were filled at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany in late September 2017. Countries which had already earned an entry to the Olympics were not allowed to qualify more entries at this final qualifying competition. Unlike at the World Championships, where countries could qualify more than one spot depending on the placement of the skater, at this ISU competition countries could earn only one spot per discipline, regardless of placement. Initially, a total of six spots per singles event, four spots in pairs, and five in ice dance were available at the ISU competition.
If a country declines to use one or more of its qualified spots, the vacated spot is awarded using the results of the ISU competition in descending order of placement. By the time the ISU competition was held, one more spot in pairs and one more spot in ice dance became available according to this rule.
For the team trophy, scores from the 2016–17 championship season and the 2017–18 grand prix season, were tabulated to establish the ten top nations. Each nation compiled a score from their top performers in each of the four disciplines. The Grand Prix Final, taking place in early December 2017, was the final event to affect the Team Trophy score.
Swedish Olympic Committee decided to return their quota spot, as Swedish figure skater Alexander Majorov was unable to achieve the 258 point total score required by the Swedish Olympic Committee.[4] Philippines received the quota spot.[5]
The USA pairs entries did achieve the requisite 28 placement points to have two entries, however only receive one entry because the total number of qualifiers from the World Championship exceeded sixteen, and they were the last ISU member to reach the qualifying limit (rule 400.A.3)[6]
France withdrew its second pairs spot making 5 spots available at the Nebelhorn Trophy.[7]
North Korea originally missed the deadline to submit entries and was replaced by the first alternate, Japan. However, following negotiations with South Korea, the North Koreans agreed to send the athletes after all[8] and IOC agreed to extend the deadline.[9] ISU clarified that North Korea's quota place has been given to Japan and that an additional entry in to the competition is up to IOC.[10]
2017–18 total is the sum of the top qualifying point total in each of the four disciplines derived from one of the 2017–2018 ISU Grand Prix individual events or Grand Prix Final (senior). If Skaters/Couples of a NOC/ISU Member have not obtained points in the above-mentioned ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating individual events and Final (senior), then the best result in one event of the 2017–18 ISU Junior Grand Prix individual events (only in individual events but not the Final) season 2017/18 can be considered.[1]
For a nation to be represented in the team event it must have qualified entrants in three of the other four Olympic events. The host (South Korea) can qualify for each event as host if the additional athletes quota for the team event is not used up. However they cannot qualify for the team event by use of 'host' qualifiers.[1]
Next eligible NOC per event
If a country rejects a quota spot then additional quotas become available. A country can be eligible for one quota spot per event in the reallocation process. Countries in bold indicate the country later received a quota spot. The following list is compiled after the remaining spots were allocated at the 2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy.
