Everyone knows halfpipe and slopestyle skiing will make their debut in the 2014 Winter Olympics. What most people still don’t know is how skiers will be selected. Here, we present the road to the Olympics by the numbers. The Olympics qualifying timeline is July 1, 2012 to January 19, 2014.

Country Quota Allotment

The FIS World Rankings List uses results from World Cup and World Champs to determine the Olympic Nations Quota (by event and gender). Each athlete in the top 30 men or 24 women earn their nation a quota spot (up to four per nation).

Countries cannot send more than their quota from the Olympic Nations Quota, and no more than four per event per gender. In the event countries have more than four spots secured in the top 30/24, remaining spots will be chosen from outside the top 30/24, until suitable spots are filled.

Max Team Size

A nation can send a max 26 freeskiing athletes (max 14 per gender) that is split between pipe, slope, skier x, aerials & moguls. That means even if a country has four quota spots for each of those events, they can’t send 20 dudes and 20 chicks. Tough choices must be made between each discipline, as well as gender.

Individual Athlete Olympic Eligibility

Skiers must have X amount of FIS points: 80 points for halfpipe skiers, 50 points for slopestyle skiers. And they must have a top 30 finish in FIS World Cup or World Championships event.

*This article appeared in the V15 December issue of FREESKIER and is part of our 2012/13 Competition Preview. Subscribe to the magazine, or get it on the iTunes Newsstand.