London 2012 Olympic Games

Unfortunately, not all the best players took part.

For the London 2012 Olympic Games table tennis events, there was a limit on the total number of players who could take part - 86 men and 86 women.

And each National Olympic Committee (NOC) could only have a maximum of three men and three women competing (with a maximum of two men and two women in the singles events).

So some of the stronger table tennis nations, like China, who had several players in the top 20 of the World Ranking list, were only able to send a maximum of three men and three women to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games.

However, this meant that the rivalry between the various nationalities was more intense, and provided us with some excellent matches.

Table tennis players who compete in the Olympic Games are representing their National Olympic Committee rather than their country (for example, competitors from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland represented Great Britain), and they had to meet certain eligibility criteria before they could be considered.

So let's take a look at how table tennis players qualified.

There was a complicated system of qualification for the London 2012 Olympic Games table tennis events, but without getting too bogged down with the full details, here's a brief summary ...

86 men and 86 women qualified for the Olympic Games as follows:

For each gender...

• The top 28 players on the ITTF World Ranking list as at 16 May 2011 (with a maximum of two players per NOC)
  
  
• 40 players qualified via continental qualification events held between 1 June 2011 and 22 April 2012 (Africa 6, Asia 11, Europe 11, Latin America 6, North America 3 and Oceania 3)
  
  
• The top 2 players at the Final World Qualification Tournament who had not already qualified
  
  
• One player by invitation of the IOC/ANOC/ITTF
  
  
• One player from the host NOC
  
  
• Up to 14 players (Team Quota) to enable NOCs that qualify for the team event, but do not otherwise qualify enough players, to form that team

But remember, each NOC could only have a maximum of three men and three women competing (with a maximum of two men and two women in the singles events).

The Final World Qualification Tournament qualified more than two players where all of the Team Quota (14 places) were not required.

The complicated system of qualification for the London 2012 Olympic Games table tennis events was finally over by 30 June 2012.

That was the date that the ITTF had to confirm the final allocation of all quota places, whilst 9 July 2012 was the deadline for the London 2012 Organising Committee to receive entry forms.

So players qualified for the 2012 Olympic Games between 16 May 2011 and 30 June 2012.

You can see which players qualified for the 2012 Olympic Games table tennis events here.