Team USA Eligibility

• All athletes nominated to the 2023 Pan American or Parapan American Games Team (including Pan Am only sports) are eligible 

• In weight class sports, athletes who meet eligibility criteria in non-Olympic/Paralympic weight classes are eligible 

• The criteria must be objective, international-based, and clearly demonstrate that the athletes who meet these criteria are performing at the highest level(s) of international competition and are on the pathway to participating in an Olympic or Paralympic Games. This includes: 
  • Sports’ highest levels of international competition in which NGBs/Organizers select the best athletes to compete (e.g., World Cup Finals). 

  • Qualification pathway to an Olympic or Paralympic Games per written procedures 

  • International competitions in which an athlete can qualify by name to an Olympic or Paralympic Games per written procedures 

• The following areas may not be considered as eligible criteria on the Pathway. 

  • Age-restricted competitions and events 

  • National team programs 

  • Domestic championships & trials events 

  • Individual World Cup/Series events – unless designated as an Op Gold event or direct qualifier to the Olympic/Paralympic Games per written procedures. 

  • Unless specifically stated in IF Qualification Guide to an Olympic or Paralympic Games, ‘open’ competitions in which any participant can enter without NGB or IF involvement. 

  • Professional Sports Leagues/Competitions not administered by the IF (i.e., XGames, Dew Tour) unless specifically stated in written qualification procedures for an Olympic/Paralympic Games. 

• Where world ranking exists and/or plays a significant role in the qualification pathway to an Olympic or Paralympic Games, U.S. Athletes (and their Paralympic guides who serve as competition partners) who meet the standard in an event that will be contested at an upcoming Olympic & Paralympic Games will be eligible as Team USA Athletes. 

• A Top 20 and Top 1/2 (of total competitors) end of season World Rank is the USOPC's recommended standard. In the case where the standard does not align with the nuances of the sport, the NGB, in collaboration with the USOPC, may adjust both the individual ranking to be used as well as define the date in which the ranking should be applied.

• In the case of a sport having multiple World Rankings, the most ‘elite’ version(s) will be determined by the NGB, in collaboration with the USOPC.

• For small team sports (defined as those with 2-8 team members), only individuals listed by name in the designated ranking system can qualify using World Rank. 

• Large team sports and Relays (e.g., wheelchair rugby, indoor volleyball, soccer), where world rank is listed by nation, will not have a world rank criterion.

Athlete Benefits Model is a tiered approach that has been defined as follows:

• Team USA Olympians & Paralympians – Nominated to an Olympic or Paralympic Games

• Team USA Athletes – Selected to a World Championships or Op Gold event, Nominated to Pan American or Parapan American Games, Selected to an International Qualifying Competition
• Emerging & Pipeline Athletes – Selected to an NGB Qualifying Competition
• USOPC 10-Year Athletes - An athlete who has been selected by their NGB to represent the U.S. in a Delegation Event or International Qualifying Competition within the previous 10 years

Qualifying competitions will be identified in alignment with qualification pathways to Delegation Events as defined in the USOPC Bylaws.

To view all eligible events and competitions for your sport, click this link.

The Stevens Financial Security Awards, announced in March of 2025, grant U.S. Olympic and Paralympic team members $200,000 in benefits for each Games they represent Team USA. Eligible athletes will receive: 

• $100K to live: Eligible athletes will receive $100K over four years at age 45 or 20 years after their qualifying Games, whichever is later. 
• $100K to protect: Eligible athletes will receive a guaranteed financial benefit for their families or chosen beneficiaries. 
• Multiplier Effect: Athletes receive $200,000 in benefits for each Games in which they represent Team USA. For instance, an athlete selected to three Olympic or Paralympic teams would receive $600,000 in benefits.

These awards will begin in effect with the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games and are not retroactive to previous games. The awards will be in effect through at least 2032 with the goal of endowing the awards in perpetuity. 

More information can be found here.

Updates to the Team USA Athlete List will be made quarterly. The USOPC will pull data from its competition database and the list of athletes qualified in that quarter will be shared with applicable NGBs to review.

For reference, competitions fall in the following quarter dates:

• Q1: January 1 - March 31
• Q2: April 1 - June 30
• Q3: July 1 - September 30
• Q4: October 1 - December 31

Please note: newly qualified and requalified athletes will gain access to the benefits aligned with this pathway several weeks following the end of their qualifying quarter.

Athlete lists are jointly approved by the USOPC and the NGBs. The USOPC is responsible for generating all draft lists, based on competition data or current list data. NGBs are responsible for reviewing the draft lists and making appropriate edits. The USOPC has the final approval and will review all NGB revisions to ensure policies have been followed.

Team USA athletes who qualify for benefits can access their resources through Agora, the new athlete-centered platform that provides information on available resources, support avenues, and more! Once an athlete qualifies, they will receive their Agora log in information via email from the Athlete Services team.

Eligible athletes looking to access Agora can do so via desktop or mobile app where they can get resources and support on the go! (Apple | Google Play)

If there are no eligible competitions for in a given year, no new athletes will be onboarded to Team USA in that year.

Yes. Athletes who function as accredited guides or competition partners as defined by the IPC and IF will be eligible for Athlete Benefits. Personal Care Assistants are not eligible for Team USA Athlete Benefits.

Yes.

Yes.

Performance resources will continue to be allocated through the criteria set forth in the High-Performance Support Funding Schedule with each NGB. This allocation process is done in partnership with each NGB and is tailored to meet the needs of each sport, allowing for flexibility and discretion when necessary, with the objective of distributing resources to highest potential Olympic/Paralympic caliber athletes.

Performance Resources Include:

• Financial Benefits: Athlete Stipends, OP Gold/Performance Incentives, Coaching Stipends, Other Funding/Stipends
• OPTC Resources: Access to Training Centers, Residency Programs
• Service Providers: Sports Medicine, Nutrition, Physiology, Strength and Conditioning, Tech and Innovation

No. The only way to access the full scope of Athlete Benefits resources is to meet the eligibility criteria as defined in this model. Limited resources may be available to emerging athletes. See the Benefits Grid for more details.

Removal from a Delegation Event competition program will result in the athlete being unable to requalify for the same benefits level. The USOPC is committed to supporting a smooth and fair transition period for athletes if they become ineligible for benefits. In general, athletes who lose eligibility will have a one-month transition for health insurance, six-month transition for psychological services, national medical network, and assistance fund benefits. Athletes will receive career, education, financial wellness and athlete marketing benefits for 10-years from their last qualifying event. 

USOPA members who are within their 10-year window from their last qualifying event are eligible for Team USA Athlete Benefits.

Athletes can file an inquiry with the USOPC to seek clarification for any of the following reasons:

• Interpretation of Criteria – explanation of how criteria are interpreted specific to an individual athlete’s situation.
• Application of Criteria – explanation of how criteria were applied in a specific athlete’s situation.
• Decisions on Termination – explanation of decisions to revoke eligibility of benefits and services in specific situations.

Please reach out to athleteservices@usopc.org with any eligibility questions you may have.

To receive benefits as an Emerging & Pipeline Athlete, Team USA Athlete, Team USA Olympian or Paralympian, 10-year or 10-year plus athlete, individuals must be eligible to participate in the Olympic & Paralympic Movement and cannot be under a suspension or period of ineligibility, temporarily or otherwise, from the U.S. Center for SafeSport, USADA, WADA, an International Federation, the USOPC, or an NGB.

A Delegation Event or Qualifying Competition 

Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, Parapan Am Games

Any competition or activity organized or approved by the NGB (team selection camp, tryout, national championship, Trials event) where the athlete’s performance or results are considered in the published selection criteria to represent the United States in a Delegation Event.

Any international sport competition where; athletes represent the United States against athletes representing other nations, the NGB officially designates entrants, as required by the competition organizers, and athlete results or performance are included in the published criteria (International Federation qualification system or NGB selection criteria) to qualify, or be selected, to represent the United States in a Delegation Event.

An athlete who has been selected by their NGB to represent the U.S. in a Delegation Event or International Qualifying Competition within the previous 10 years.