Australia and The Netherlands are granted automatic entry to the Sydney Games, Australia because of being the host nation and because its women are defending champions and The Netherlands because its men won in Atlanta in 1996. Other nations qualify through regional elimination events in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Those who do not make the grade first time round had one last chance in a second selection round, held earlier this year in Britain for the men and Japan for the women. The Great Britain teams, both men and women, qualified.