they are 600 (men) and 590 (women). Athletes who wish to qualify for the Olympics need to achieve the MQS in the period starting from 5 July 2007 until 16 July 2008. Host nation China qualified 3 athletes per gender automatically when they participated with the same number of athletes at the 2007 World Outdoor Target Championships in Leipzig. At these championships another 80 spots were given to NOCs. The top 8 nations per gender (apart from China) in the team competition qualified with 3 athletes for the Olympics. Sixteen spots per gender were given to the NOCs with the highest ranked athletes who had not yet qualified through the team competition, with a maximum of 2 athletes per NOC. Archers can also qualify through Continental Qualification Tournaments. Archers who have already earned qualification spots for their NOC as well as nations that don't belong to the continental area may not participate in these Continental Championships. Three spots will be allocated to Asia, Europe and Pan America, while Africa and Oceania both receive 2 spots per gender. At these tournaments there is a maximum of 2 athletes per NOC. A special tournament called the Final World Qualification Tournament will be held between nations that not have won any quota places through other tournaments. They can qualify a maximum of one athlete per gender per NOC. This tournament will be held from 23 June 2008 until 29 June 2008. Three remaining spots per gender will be allocated by a commission of IOC and FITA members to nations who have submitted athletes but did not yet qualify. The following is a list of qualification events: 31 December 2006, FITA publishes the calendar and locations of the Continental Qualification Tournaments. 5 July 2007, start of the Minimum Qualification Score period. 5–15 July 2007, 2007 World Outdoor Target Championships, Leipzig, Germany. 14–19 September 2007, Asian Championships, Xian, China. 9–13 October 2007, PanAmerica Continental Qualification Tournament, San Salvador, El Salvador. 5–11 January 2008, New Zealand Championships & Oceania Qualification, Wellington, New Zealand. 7–10 February 2008, African Championships, Cairo, Egypt. 12–19 May 2008, European Championships, Vittel, France. 23 June 2008 - 29 June 2008, Final World Qualification Tournament, Boé, France. 16 July 2008, end of the Minimum Qualification Score period. 18 July 2008, FITA reallocated unused quota places. TBC, The commission will confirm the invitational places to NOC's. Participating nations 128 archers from 49 nations took