Sweden have emerged victorious from a four-way European play-off for the final place in the women’s football tournament at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, triumphing over the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland. Following on from Australia and China’s success at the Asian qualifying event earlier this week, it means the 12-team Olympic tournament has its line-up confirmed.

The other nine nations who will compete for medals in August are: Brazil, Colombia, Germany, France, South Africa, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, USA and Canada.

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Sweden needed just one point from their final match, against hosts the Netherlands on Wednesday (9 March). The Dutch took the lead but Olivia Schough’s equaliser and some stout Swedish defending saw Pia Sundhage’s team maintain their 100 per cent Olympic qualification record. Present in every tournament since women’s football entered the Olympic programme at Atlanta 1996, the Swedes’ best performance was a fourth-placed finish at Athens 2004.

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Australia and China confirmed their places at Rio 2016 with one match-day remaining in the six-team Asian Olympic qualifying tournament in Japan. China’s 1-0 win over the Korean Republic on Monday (7 March) meant that Australia needed one point against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, a match the Matildas won 2-1 (see celebrations below, warning: it’s loud).

Let the celebrations begin!!!! #GoingToRio #GoMatildas pic.twitter.com/DVz0zp3k0x

— Westfield Matildas (@TheMatildas) March 7, 2016

“I said before we left home that whoever qualifies through Asia is a medal chance (for the Olympic Games)”

Australia coach Alen Stajcic

The big surprise was that Japan – the London 2012 silver medallists, 2015 World Cup runners-up and 2011 World Cup champions – failed to qualify on home soil, losing to both Australia and China. Along with the two Koreas and Vietnam, the Japanese will now have to focus on the Tokyo 2020 Games.

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It was the first time Australia had qualified for the Olympic Games since joining the Asian continental set-up, and they finished top of the table after a 1-1 draw in their final match, against China in Osaka on Wednesday (9 March).

China’s young team also appears to be on an upward trajectory following the arrival of former France coach Bruno Bini. They are a low-scoring but difficult-to-beat side, something Bini acknoweldged.

“Playing tactically works very well for us, and technique is also a part of my philosophy. We have fantastic players who work together very well”

China coach Bruno Bini

China and Australia will represent Asia at the Rio 2016 Games (Photo: Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)

Follow the race to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
 

Rio2016.com is not an absolute authority on qualification for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which is an ongoing process. Final places will only be confirmed in July 2016 (for the Olympic Games) and August 2016 (for the Paralympic Games). The qualification systems are defined by each sport’s respective International Federation and the International Olympic Committee or International Paralympic Committee, and are subject to change. When an athlete or team wins a quota place for their nation, the final decision on whether this ‘slot’ is used and which athletes are sent is taken by the respective National Olympic Committee or National Paralympic Committee (NOC or NPC). Even when athletes win a ‘nominal’ place for themselves, NOCs/NPCs may have to decide who to send if the number of qualified athletes from one country exceeds the quota.