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The application deadline for Unused Quota Places (UQPs) is 1 June 2008, although ISAF is encouraging early applications to give sailors, officials and organizers as much preparation time as possible.

What Are UQPs?

As the 2008 World Championships of the Olympic Classes conclude, the picture of which nations will be represented at the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition is becoming clearer. However, whilst athletes may qualify their nations for a place at the Olympic Games, this qualification place is not necessarily taken up by the National Olympic Committee (NOC) and therefore the slot becomes re-available, or what is known as an 'Unused Quota Place' (UQP). Each NOC has the right to accept or reject any place they have qualified for at the Games and many have their own performance criteria which athletes must meet in order to represent their nation at the Olympic Games.

ISAF has already been informed of some nations who will not be taking up places they have qualified for in one or more of the 11 sailing events at the Beijing Games. NOCs must confirm to ISAF the use of qualification places by 1 June 2008.

Reallocating UQPs

Nations seeking to apply for UQPs should write to ISAF as soon as possible but by 1 June 2008 at the latest to apply for a place. This letter should include confirmation from the NOC that if offered a UQP it will be accepted. Please note, any athlete nominated for a UQP must meet the Minimum Athlete Eligibility Standard of appearing on the ISAF World Sailing Rankings between 1 January 2007 and 1 July 2008.

The UQPs are reallocated by the ISAF Qualification Committee in accordance with the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition Qualification System (click here to view the full Qualification System document).

In summary, the reallocation process for UQPs is as follows:

1. Initially UQPs will be offered to eligible Tripartite Commission Invitational Places as allocated by the IOC Tripartite Commission (the deadline to apply was 15 November 2007).

2. ISAF will draw up an Unused Quota Places Re-allocation list based on the finishing order of the 2008 Class World Championships. UQPs will then be offered initially to nations not already represented in any other events at the Olympic Sailing Competition, then to nations represented in one other event, and so on until all UQPs have been re-allocated.

ISAF will confirm the reallocation of UQPs by 30 June 2008.

Click here for a full qualification guide to the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition.

ISAF Olympic microsite - www.sailing.org/olympics