The top 12 teams at the world championships last year, accounting for 72 gymnasts, qualified for Sydney. Two gymnasts from each of the teams ranked thirteenth to eighteenth and nine other gymnasts also qualified. The 98 men and 98 women are calculated by then adding one gymnast from each of the continents, namely Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. These are selected by the Federation of International Gymnastics and other governing bodies.