The IFDS has released the qualification criteria which will see a total of 80 sailors competing across three medal events in Rio including the single-person keelboat 2.4mR, two-person keelboat SKUD18 and the three-person keelboat Sonar classes.

With hosts Brazil automatically granted one entry for each of the three medal events, that leaves 74 sailing slots up for grabs for the sailing competitions, which are due to take place in Guanabara Bay.

A total of 39 of those places will be decided at this year's IFDS World Championships in Halifax, Canada, due to take place from August 16 to 24, while the remaining 35 spots will be decided at the 2015 Championships, scheduled for Melbourne from November 26 to December 3.

At least five female sailors must qualify from each of the Championships to take part in Rio 2016, with at least one female on each of the teams taking part in the two-person keelboat during the Games, which are due to take place from September 7 to 16.

In Halifax later this year, the eight highest ranked single-person boats will qualify along with the five highest ranked two-person boats and the seven highest ranked three-person boats.

The following year in Melbourne will see the top seven singles, top five two-person boats and the six highest placed three-person boats secure their spot at the Games.

Norway's Aleksander Wang-Hansen (left) will be one of the athletes hoping to secure a berth at Rio 2016 ©Getty Images



Should a number of the same boats finish in the qualification slots at both Championships, then the next highest placed boat will be awarded a place in Rio.

The qualification slot is allocated to the National Paralympic Committee (NPC), not to the individual athlete or team, and each NPC is allocated no more than one boat per medal event for a maximum total allocation of six athlete qualification slots.

To be eligible for selection by a NPC, sailors must have competed in at least one official IFDS sanctioned competition between January 1 2014 and June 30 2016.

Following the conclusion of the 2015 World Championships in Melbourne, the IFDS will confirm the number of allocated qualification slots to each NPC on February 1 2016.

They will have until March 1 to confirm the use of those places.

A month later, the IFDS will confirm to each NPC the reallocation of any unused slots, while April 30 is the deadline for NPCs to send their accreditation application forms to the Rio 2016 Organising Committee.

NPCs then have until August 15 to submit their sport entry forms.

To view the full Rio 2016 qualification criteria, click here.

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