London 2012 Doubles Qualification: Hosts hopes in sight

After 363 days and 110 tournaments, the qualifiers for the 2012 London Olympic Games from 52 Members Associations have been determined upon the publication of the BWF World Ranking on Thursday 3 May 2012.

This World Ranking has recorded the average points of the top 10 results of each athlete accumulated at BWF-sanctioned tournaments held between 3 May 2011 and 29 April 2012.
Unlike the singles disciplines, the Continental Qualification spots can only be awarded if the top continental pairs sit within the Top 50 of the World Ranking on 3 May. Also, no tripartite places are available for the doubles disciplines.
In spite of that, the three doubles disciplines have served up a cocktail of possibilities that will keep alive hosts Great Britain’s hopes of another precious qualification spot.
Men’s Doubles: Official BWF Qualification List
In the men’s doubles, a total of 16 pairs from 14 Members Associations have been awarded a spot, with China’s Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng (Asia, pictured left), Denmark’s Mathias Boe/Carsten Mogensen (Europe), United State’s Tony Gunawan/Howard Bach (Pan Am), South Africa’s Dorian Lance James/Willem Viljoen (Africa) and Australia’s Glenn Warfe/Ross Smith (Oceania) named as the top representatives of each of the 5 continents on 3 May.
Sitting right outside the men’s doubles qualification list (R1) is English men’s doubles pair Chris Adcock/Andrew Ellis (pictured bottom left), who will require just one withdrawal to qualify.
But should South Africa decide to forfeit their Continental Qualification spot in the men’s doubles in exchange for a potential women’s singles spot for Harrington, and as the next Africa Continental pair sits outside of the top 50 bracket, then the English duo is Olympic-bound.
Pan Am's Canada may also be presented with a dilemma similar to South Africa's should they be handed a men's doubles Continental Qualification spot in the event if Americans Gunawan/Bach turn down their invitiation. Canada's world number 30 men’s doubles pair Adrian Liu/Derrick Ng will then be offered the men's doubles Continental Qualification spot.
However, Canada can only choose to take two of the three Continental Qualification doubles tickets on offer.
Should Canada then also follow United States to not participate in the men's doubles then, with no other eligible Pan Am pairs sitting inside the Top 50, England’s Adcock/Ellis will be offered the last ticket.
This further implicates the men’s singles qualification, as Chris Adcock who has already qualified in the mixed doubles, can potentially open up another provisional spot in the men's singles for gender equity that will enable Scott Evans, first on the reserves list on 3 May's World Rankings, to promptly qualify.
Women’s Doubles: Official BWF Qualification List
In the women’s doubles, a total of 16 pairs from 13 Members Associations have been awarded a spot, with China’s Wang Xiaoli/Yu Yang (Asia), Denmark’s Christinna Pedersen/Kamilla Rytter Juhl (Europe), Canada’s Alex Bruce/Michelle Li (Pan Am), South Africa’s Michelle Claire Edwards/Annari Viljoen (Africa) and Australia’s Leanne Choo/Renuga Veeran (Oceania, pictured right) named as the top representatives of each of the 5 continents on 3 May.
The first reserves, Malaysia's Wong Pei Tty/Chin Eei Hui could qualify on a pair's withdrawal or by virtue of South Africa exchanging their women's doubles Continental Qualification ticket for a singles ticket if the dilemma is presented to them and with no other African pairs sitting inside of the top 50 bracket.
A country can choose to take up the two Continental Qualification doubles tickets, or one Continental Qualification doubles ticket and one singles ticket.
Mixed Doubles: Official BWF Qualification List
In the mixed doubles, a total of 16 pairs from 14 Members Associations have been awarded a spot.
Unlike the men’s and women’s doubles disciplines, there will not be mixed doubles representatives from the Oceania and Africa continents in London, as they have no pairs ranked in the Top 50 on 3 May to qualify for the Continental Qualification spots.

Only Canada’s world number 26 Grace Gao/Toby Ng has qualified to use the Continental Qualification spot but it may come at the expense of their teammates’ participation in the other doubles disciplines as mentioned earlier.
If Canada forfeit their mixed doubles spot, with no other eligible Pan Am pairs in the Top 50, then first reserve pair (R1), Singapore’s Danny Bawa Chrisnanta/Vanessa Neo Yu Yan, will be invited to their maiden Olympic Games.
With country quota in place, countries with more than 3 pairs qualified in the Top 8 such as Japan in women’s doubles, will have to pick the 2 pairs they will be sending to London.
A maximum of 2 pairs per country can qualify if both are ranked in the Top 8 on 3 May: China and Denmark in mixed doubles; China, Korea, Japan in women's doubles; China and Korea in men's doubles.

Defending Olympic men's doubles champions Hendra Setiawan/Markis Kido (pictured right) have missed out on qualifying as Indonesia's second pair by merely 71.6903 points, ranked world number 9 on 3 May.
Indonesia, like other countries with more than one pair ranked above the last qualified pair sans Continental Qualification pair(s) in each doubles discipline (but outside of Top 8), will have to decide on the one pair to represent them in London.
All Member Associations have until 31 May to decide on their representatives for the 2012 London Olympic Games in accordance to the quota(s) decided by the BWF to balance having the best players and global diversity at the Olympic Games.
Withdrawals and reserves replacements are however possible until 20 July 2012. The live draw ceremony will be held on 23 July 2012 in London.
For further enquiries, do contact BWF Communications Officer Jan j.lin@bwfbadminton.org.
Editor's note: A management decision was taken to clarify the women's singles qualification regulations on Friday 4 May afternoon, thereby resulting in a clearer standing on the women's singles Olympic qualification list that has been updated on the website.