The FINA Olympic Marathon Swim Qualifier 2021 is set to take place in Setubal, Portugal, on June 19 and 20, 2021. The women's race will be staged on Saturday June 19, while the men’s competition will be on Sunday June 20. Both events will take place at 4pm (GMT) and are a 10km course in the riverside arch of the Urban Park of Albarquel.
More than 100 athletes are expected to arrive in Setubal, while approximately 150 supporting staff will accompany the teams.
A total of fifteen (15) spots are at stake in each race (men and women). The nine (9) highest ranked athletes in each event will obtain one (1) quota place. Only NOCs/NFs that have no athlete qualified through the FINA World Championships 2019 can send a maximum of two athletes per event. However, each NOC/NF can only qualify a maximum of one (1) athlete per gender. In regards to the continental representation, the highest ranked athlete in the 10km event, not yet qualified, from each of the five (5) continents will directly qualify.
Should an NOC/NF have previously qualified one (1) or two (2) athletes, the next highest ranked athlete from the same continent, not yet qualified, in the ranking of the FINA Olympic Marathon Swim Qualifier 2021 event will qualify to ensure that each of these nations is represented by a participant. The host country will automatically qualify one (1) quota for men and one (1) for women.
Setubal has a long-lasting tradition in hosting open water events and is a very suitable venue run by an experienced Portuguese Federation. The same location has welcomed the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games Qualifying events and has been a regular host of the FINA Marathon Swim World Series (10km) for years.
Due to the actual context dictated by the COVID-19 pandemic, spectators will not be allowed at the event, as a strict COVID-19 free bubble will be set up for the athletes and technical teams, with defined safety perimeters in which essential staff only will be authorised. All participants will be required to take a COVID-19 test 72 hours prior to the event.
The race will be live streamed on FINA.org, and race reports will be available on FINA website.