There has been a lot of questions as to who will be getting into the Olympic Games based on the qualifying procedures around athletes hitting A and B standard marks. Based on the rules it is safe to say that NO athlete will qualify in for Team USA that does not have an Olympic A standard in a running/track event. This really changes the dynamic of most races from 800 meters and up because many of the athletes will have to make sure the pace of the race is at the pace of an Olympic A standard mark if they want a chance. Check out the excerpt below from an official USOC document on the athlete selection procedure. The paragraphs highlighted in red we found most relevant in the explanation:

Click here for full USOC document
Click here time list of Olympic A & B standards

---

The philosophy of USATF is to send the maximum number of athletes allowed by IAAF rules. The maximum team size is 141 athletes. USATF’s selection system is designed to have athletes select themselves in individual events. As it relates to relay events, the selection process provides the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team relay coach, in ongoing communication and consultation with the Chief of Sports Performance, with the discretion necessary to select the best possible relay team.

Individual event selection:

1. Rank Order of Finish: All athletes competing in a 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials event will be assigned a rank based upon the order of finish for that event. An athlete must compete in each event in which she/he is entered in order to be assigned a rank. 6

Rank order of finish for an individual event will be established as follows:

- Running events: 1) Athletes participating in the final round of competition will be assigned a rank based upon their place- finish in the final (top eight finishers, plus ties) of that event; 2) Athletes that do not qualify for the finals will establish their rank order position based on the fastest time achieved in the semi-final round; and 3) Athletes that do not qualify for the semi-finals will establish their rank order position based on the fastest time achieved in the preliminary rounds. An athlete's final ranking will be based upon the highest round completed by an athlete. For relay events see section II.

- Field events: 1) Athletes participating in the final round of competition will be assigned a rank based upon their placefinish in the finals (top eight finishers, plus ties) of that event; 2) Athletes that do not qualify for the finals will establish their rank order position based on the athlete's best mark achieved in the qualifying round. An athlete's ranking will be based upon the highest round completed by an athlete. If there is a tie in a field event, excluding the high jump and pole vault, the tie will be broken using IAAF rules. Ties in the high jump and pole vault will be broken by a jump off, immediately after the event.

- Marathon/Men’s 50km Race Walk - Athletes participating in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon, and the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s 50km Race Walk will be assigned a rank based upon their place- finish in that event.

2. Olympic Standard: In order to be eligible to participate in the 2012 Olympic Games, an athlete must have achieved an Olympic “A” or “B” standard (see section I.A.2 above for minimum eligibility requirements). The qualification period in which an athlete must achieve the Olympic “A” or “B” standard is detailed below: (see list of Standards here)

- Men’s and Women’s Marathon - January 1, 2011 – January 14, 2012. Marathon standards must be met on an IAAF approved course.7

- Men’s 50km Race Walk – January 1, 2011 – June 17, 2012. Race Walk standards must be met on an IAAF approved course.

- 10,000m and Combined Events – January 1, 2011 – End of the athlete’s individual event at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field or July 1, 2012, whichever comes first.

- All other individual track and field events – May 1, 2011 – End of the athlete’s individual event at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field or July 1, 2012, whichever comes first.

The top Ranked Order Finishers as defined in I.C.1 (maximum of 3) who have achieved the Olympic "A" standard (see exception in item (b) below) by the end of their individual event qualification period (defined above) will be nominated to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team on July 2, 2012 provided they have met the entry guidelines listed below. (See Attachment B for potential nomination scenarios)

Per IAAF rules:
- The U.S. may enter a maximum of three (3) athletes per individual event/per gender provided they all have met the Olympic "A" qualifying standard for the respective event within the applicable qualifying periods listed above. Entries must be delivered to the USOC on July 2, 2012 thus athletes must have met the qualifying standard by the deadlines set forth in these selection procedures.

- In the event that one or more athletes described in I.C.2 have not met the Olympic "A" qualifying standard by the end of their individual event qualification period, athlete(s) who have achieved the Olympic "A" qualifying standard will be nominated to the Olympic Team based on rank order of finish at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field, the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s 50 km Race Walk, or the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon subject to the following:

Track & Field
a. In the event that a non Olympic "A" standard athlete places in a position that would make the Olympic Team at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field – and there are two or more athlete candidates in the final of said event who have met the Olympic "A" standard, the nominations to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team will be awarded to up to three (3) athletes, per gender, who have achieved the Olympic "A" standard, based on rank order of finish at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field. USATF must turn nominations over to the USOC on July 2 thus athletes must have met the Olympic standard by the end of their individual event at the Trials. There will be NO CHASING OF STANDARDS.

b. In the event that a non Olympic "A" standard athlete places in a position that would make the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field and only one (1) athlete candidate in that event has met the "A" standard by the end of their individual event at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field, the highest placing athlete who has met either the "A" or "B" standard will be the nominee to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team in that event. Please note that in this case only one (1) athlete and one (1) replacement athlete may be entered. The next highest placing finisher with an Olympic "A" or Olympic "B" standard will serve as the replacement athlete.

c. If no athlete(s) from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field has achieved the Olympic "A" standard by the conclusion of their individual event at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field, the highest place finisher at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field with the Olympic "B" standard will be the sole nominee to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team in that event. The next highest placing finisher with the Olympic “B” standard will serve as the replacement athlete.

d. If no athlete(s) meet the Olympic "A" or "B" standards in a given event by the end of the respective qualification period, no athlete(s) will be nominated to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team in that event.9

Men’s 50 km Race Walk
a. In the event that a non Olympic "A" standard athlete places in a position that would make the Olympic Team at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men's 50 km Race Walk and does not achieve the Olympic "A" standard on an IAAF approved course by the end of the qualification period, the nominations to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team will be awarded to up to three (3) athletes, per gender, who have achieved the Olympic "A" standard on an approved IAAF course based on rank order of finish at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials –Men's 50 km Race Walk.

b. If no athlete(s) from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men's 50 km Race Walk has achieved the Olympic "A" standard on an IAAF approved course by the end of the qualification period, the highest place finisher at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men' 50 km Race Walk, with the Olympic "B" standard will be the sole nominee to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team. The next highest placing finisher with the Olympic “B” standard will serve as the replacement athlete.

c. If no athlete(s) meet the Olympic "A" or "B" standards in a given event by the end of the respective qualification period, no athlete (s) will be nominated to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team in that event.

Marathon
a. In the event that a non Olympic “A” standard athlete wins the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Marathon and has not achieved the Olympic “A” standard on an IAAF approved course by the end of the qualification period, the nominations to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team will be awarded to up to three (3) athletes, per gender, who have achieved the Olympic “A” standard based on rank order of finish at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Marathon. There will be NO CHASING OF STANDARDS.10

b. If no athlete(s) from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Marathon achieve the “A” standard on an IAAF approved course by the end of the qualification period– the highest place finisher at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Marathon, with the “B” standard will be the sole nominee to the 2012 Olympic Marathon Team. The next highest placing finisher with the Olympic “B” standard will serve as the replacement athlete.

c. If no athlete(s) meet the Olympic “A” or “B” standards in a given event by the end of the qualification period, no athletes will be nominated to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team in that event.