Understanding Alternates and Substitution at the Olympics

The deadline for the Final Entries list of participating athletes for Tokyo 2020 was July 5, 2021. The Late Athlete Replacement (LAR) rules state that after the entries deadline, where there are medical conditions preventing participation of an athlete, proven Anti-Doping Rule Violation, a positive COVID-19 test, isolation or quarantine due to a COVID-19 infection or other exceptional reasons, the IOC may authorize a permanent replacement of an athlete.

NOCs can activate an alternate athlete once competition begins only in the following team sports: artistic swimming, athletics, BMX racing and freestyle, track cycling, equestrian, fencing, handball, hockey, football, rowing, rugby, table tennis and water polo.

For equestrian, Late Athlete Replacement for athletes and/or horses will be allowed up until one hour prior to the first horse inspection, and can only occur with athletes on site and/or horses already in the Olympic stables. Any accredited athlete may be used as a replacement provided that he/she is eligible and included in the FEI nominated Entries/Certificates of Capability list. Only one alternate athlete and/or horse will be allowed per qualified team in all disciplines.

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Canada is only sending two travelling alternates in dressage ‒ the only discipline in which we are represented by a team. An EC rep commented, “Only dressage was eligible to send a reserve to Tokyo as it was the only discipline for which Canada qualified a team; individual allocations, like Canada’s spots for eventing and jumping, are not eligible to send a reserve to Tokyo.” Non-travelling alternates were chosen for those latter two disciplines only if a selected horse/rider was deemed unable to compete prior to leaving for Tokyo.

Specific to each discipline, this is basically the circumstances where substitution can occur during team competition, according to the Team Leaders’ Guide for Equestrian.

Dressage:

During the period between the Team Qualifier (Grand Prix) and up to two hours before the start of the Team Final (Grand Prix Special), the chef d’equipe may substitute a team member with an alternate athlete/horse.
The alternate combination can compete in the Special (Team Final) but will not be entitled to compete in the Freestyle (Individual Final).

Eventing:

Pre-competition substitution applies up to two hours before the start of the dressage test without any penalty. If a horse is not accepted at the 1st horse inspection, a pre-competition change can also be made without any penalty.
The reserve horse must be presented at the first inspection
An athlete/horse combination may be substituted by a reserve combination for medical/veterinarian reasons in any of the three tests after the start of competition.
Only one substitution per team is allowed.
Substitution will incur a team penalty of 20 points; additional penalties for a team member not completing a phase will be 100 pts each for dressage and stadium, and 200 for XC. (See also Substitution Activation rules on page 23and additional penalties here.)
An athlete/horse combination can be substituted if eliminated, withdrawn, or retired, but no substitution is permitted if the combination has been eliminated for dangerous riding, abuse of horse, or if the combination has been disqualified for any other reason.
Where an athlete/horse combination is substituted, neither they nor the replacement combination will be eligible for the individual competition.

Jumping:

The alternate is allowed to take part in the training session.
Between the Individual Final and Team Qualifier, chefs d’equipe will be able to reshuffle the team, reselecting who will be the athlete and who will be the alternate.
No substitution of athlete/horse combinations in the Individual Qualifier or the Individual Final is permitted.
Substitution may occur during the period between the end of the First Team Qualifier and up to two hours before the start of the Team Final.
Substitutions are not permitted for a jump-off.

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Alternate athletes are critically important to the Games, but often overlooked. Read this fascinating article in Victory Journal about being an Olympic reserve athlete here, including this comment from US eventer Will Faudree:

“[Being] an alternate is as close as you can get to the Olympic Games without being an Olympian. You’re honored to make it that far. It’s lots of work. You’re there to support your teammates and help bring home the medal for your country, but you don’t get to contribute. And that’s hard for any athlete. You want to compete. You know you could do well. But you can’t. If you weren’t upset you wouldn’t be a competitor. People ask me, ‘Are you an Olympian?’ I tell them no. But I’ve been to the Olympics and not competed.”

—Will Faudree, 2004 alternate, equestrian