Athletes from around the world gathered in Rio de Janeiro last week to compete in the International Canoe Sprint Challenge, the 10th Rio 2016 test event, hosted on Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, and widely praised by athletes and organisers when it wrapped up on Sunday (7 September). Many athletes were going head to head against opponents just two weeks after they last met at the 2015 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Milan – an event which sealed over two thirds of the qualification spots for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the International Canoe Federation has confirmed.

Of the 246 athlete places available in next year's Olympic canoe sprint competition, 171 places were allocated at the world championships, with three athlete places being assigned automatically to Brazil as the host nation. Hungary amassed the most qualification spots in Milan, confirming 15 athlete and nine boat places, followed by Russia with 13 athletes and eight boats, then Serbia with 13 athletes and seven boats. Belarus were next best, with 12 athlete and seven boat places. Germany will also consider their qualification tally of 10 athletes across six boats a reasonable return.

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