Ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics – Women's qualification
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Qualification for the women's ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics will be determined by the IIHF World Ranking following the 2024 Women's Ice Hockey World Championships. The host along with the top six teams in the world ranking receive automatic berths into the Olympics, while all other teams have an opportunity to qualify for the remaining three spots.[1] The participation of Russia is not yet confirmed and depends on if the team is allowed to return to the IIHF Championship program.[2]
Qualified teams
Event | Date | Location | Vacancies | Qualified |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hosts | 23 May 2023[3] | ![]() | 1 | ![]() |
2024 IIHF World Ranking[a] | 20 August 2021 – 14 April 2024 | ![]() | 6 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Final qualification tournaments | 6 – 9 February 2025 | TBD | 1 | |
TBD | 1 | |||
TBD | 1 | |||
Total | 10 |
- Notes
- a The 2024 IIHF World Ranking comprised the following events: 2021 World Championship, 2022 World Championship, 2022 Winter Olympic Games, 2023 World Championship and 2024 World Championship.
- b Utica will be the site of the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship; at the conclusion of the tournament the direct qualification slots will be finalized, however final qualification ranking will not be determined until the completion of the Division IA tournament in Klagenfurt on April 27.
- c The participation of Russia is not yet confirmed and depends on if the team is allowed to return to the IIHF World Championship program.
Qualification seeding
To qualify directly, a nation has to be ranked in the top six following the 2024 Women's Ice Hockey World Championships. In the IIHF World Ranking system, ranking points from the most recent year are weighted at full value, and points from each preceding year are worth 25% less. The table below represents the standings of the 45 current participants, and Russia (whose status is yet to be determined).
Qualified directly to Olympic tournament | |
Entered in Final Olympic qualification | |
Entered in Round 2 | |
Entered in Round 1 (cancelled) | |
Did not enter Olympic qualification |
Qualifying seed | Team | WC2024 (100%) | WC2023 (75%) | WC2022 (50%) | OLY2022 (50%) | WC2021 (25%) | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 1600 | 1560 | 1200 | 1200 | 1200 | 4270 |
2 | ![]() | 1560 | 1600 | 1160 | 1160 | 1160 | 4210 |
3 | ![]() | 1520 | 1460 | 1040 | 1120 | 1120 | 3975 |
4 | ![]() | 1500 | 1520 | 1120 | 1020 | 1020 | 3965 |
5 | ![]() | 1460 | 1500 | 1100 | 1100 | 1100 | 3960 |
6 | ![]() | 1440 | 1460 | 1100 | 1060 | 1060 | 3880 |
7 | ![]() | 1400 | 1420 | 1060 | 1040 | 1040 | 3775 |
8 | ![]() | 1420 | 1440 | 1020 | 1000 | 960 | 3750 |
9 | ![]() | 1440 | 1400 | 960 | 860 | 1000 | 3650 |
10 | ![]() | 1300 | 1360 | 1000 | 920 | 960 | 3520 |
11 | ![]() | 1340 | 1300 | 940 | 940 | 940 | 3490 |
12 | ![]() | 1360 | 1320 | 820 | 960 | 740 | 3425 |
13 | ![]() | 1280 | 1340 | 920 | 880 | 920 | 3415 |
14 | ![]() | 1320 | 1240 | 900 | 840 | 880 | 3340 |
15 | ![]() | 1260 | 1280 | 860 | 900 | 860 | 3315 |
16 | ![]() | 1200 | 1220 | 880 | 820 | 840 | 3175 |
17 | ![]() | 1240 | 1260 | 840 | 740 | 780 | 3170 |
18 | ![]() | 1220 | 1200 | 740 | 780 | 800 | 3080 |
Host | ![]() | 1160 | 1160 | 780 | 800 | 820 | 3025 |
19 | ![]() | 1100 | 1180 | 800 | 760 | 760 | 2955 |
20 | ![]() | 1140 | 1120 | 700 | 720 | 660 | 2855 |
21 | ![]() | 1120 | 1140 | 720 | 680 | 680 | 2845 |
22 | ![]() | 1080 | 1100 | 760 | 660 | 720 | 2795 |
23 | ![]() | 1060 | 1060 | 660 | 700 | 640 | 2695 |
24 | ![]() | 1040 | 1040 | 620 | 640 | 620 | 2605 |
25 | ![]() | 1020 | 1020 | 640 | 620 | 540 | 2550 |
26 | ![]() | 1180 | 1080 | 680 | 0 | 700 | 2505 |
27 | ![]() | 1000 | 1000 | 580 | 600 | 520 | 2470 |
28 | ![]() | 880 | 860 | 540 | 580 | 580 | 2230 |
![]() | 920 | 840 | 360 | 560 | 460 | 2125 | |
![]() | 940 | 940 | 560 | 0 | 560 | 2065 | |
![]() | 980 | 960 | 460 | 0 | 400 | 2030 | |
![]() | 900 | 920 | 540 | 0 | 500 | 1985 | |
29 | ![]() | 800 | 800 | 440 | 520 | 340 | 1965 |
![]() | 860 | 900 | 520 | 0 | 420 | 1900 | |
30 | ![]() | 740 | 760 | 420 | 540 | 360 | 1880 |
31 | ![]() | 760 | 880 | 500 | 0 | 480 | 1790 |
![]() | 840 | 820 | 460 | 0 | 380 | 1780 | |
32 | ![]() | 820 | 780 | 420 | 0 | 440 | 1725 |
33 | ![]() | 700 | 740 | 340 | 0 | 320 | 1505 |
34 | ![]() | 780 | 720 | 320 | 0 | 0 | 1480 |
![]() | 960 | 0 | 620 | 0 | 600 | 1420 | |
![]() | 640 | 680 | 300 | 0 | 300 | 1375 | |
![]() | 680 | 700 | 280 | 0 | 0 | 1345 | |
35 | ![]() | 720 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 720 |
![]() | 660 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 660 |
Olympic qualification Round 1
This round was canceled.[4] It was meant to take place between 7–10 November, 2024, and consist of three groups of teams ranked 25th or lower.[1][5] Teams entered in Group A were Chinese Taipei, Bulgaria and Croatia; teams in Group B were Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Thailand; and teams in Group C were Iceland, Turkey, Estonia and Serbia.[5]
The three highest ranked teams, Chinese Taipei, Latvia and Iceland, advanced to Round 2.[6]
Olympic qualification Round 2
Twelve countries will play in three tournaments 12–15 December, 2024, involving nations ranked 16th to 24th and those who advanced from Round 1 (named Qualifier 4, 5, and 6). If nations decline to participate then those ranked lower will move up to fill their place.[1]
Group D
The tournament will be held in Piešťany, Slovakia.[4]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Final qualification |
2 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
Group E
The tournament will be held in Sheffield, Great Britain.[4]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Final qualification |
2 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
Group F
The tournament will be held in Bytom, Poland.[4]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Final qualification |
2 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
Final Olympic qualification
Twelve countries will play in three tournaments 6–9 February, 2025 involving nations ranked 7th to 15th, and the three winners of the Round 2 tournaments. The winners advance to the Olympic tournament and play in group B.[1]
Group G
Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2026 Winter Olympics |
2 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4 | Qualifier 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
Group H
Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2026 Winter Olympics |
2 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4 | Qualifier 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
Group I
The tournament will be held in Bremerhaven, Germany.[4]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2026 Winter Olympics |
2 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4 | Qualifier 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
References
- ^ a b c d "Qualification System – XXV Olympic Winter Games" (PDF). Olympics.com. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ "Russia, Belarus banned from international hockey world championships next season". CBC.ca. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ^ "And 2027 goes to …". IIHF. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "CALENDAR OF EVENTS As of FRI 21 JUN 2024" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-06-25. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
- ^ a b "Women's National Team Qualification Groups for the 2026 Olympic Games". National Teams of Ice Hockey - Information about hockey around the world. 2024-05-20. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
- ^ "Tournaments (Olympic Qualifications 2025)". IIHF International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 2024-06-25.