How should you enter the Olympics for track and field?

Answer 1

There are standards to enter the Olympics. An "A" Standard and a "B" standard. Every country is allowed to enter 3 A standard athletes into each event, if they have them. If they don't, they are allowed to enter one B standard athlete into each event, if they have them. Some smaller countries don't have anybody good enough to reach the standards. Those countries are allowed to enter one athlete (of each gender) into just one event in the Olympics. Usually that means a crowd of small countries running in the 100 meters (in the newly invented Preliminary round) or the in the marathon but the Olympics don't place that specificity. The IAAF World Championships have a similar system, but place the unqualified athlete into the 100 metres. In 2011, that resulted in the Samoan champion shot putter having to run the 100, far outside of his specialty.