Leonard Korir, who secured third place in the US Olympic Marathon Trials, faces an uncertain journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics following World Athletics’ addition of 11 universality athletes to the marathon roster.

This development does not impact Trials victor Conner Mantz or runner-up Clayton Young, both of whom met the stringent 2:08:10 automatic qualifying standard.

The last instance of the US not reaching the maximum quota of three athletes in the men’s Olympic marathon occurred at the 2000 Sydney Games.

World Athletics also allocated nine universality slots in the women’s Olympic marathon division, which does not alter the status of the American women, set to field a complete team of three. The top trio from the US Olympic Trials—Fiona O’Keeffe, Emily Sisson, and Dakotah Lindwurm—all achieved times under the 2:26:50 auto standard within the qualifying window spanning November 6, 2022, to May 5, 2024.

Korir fell short of the auto standard, clocking his best time during the qualifying period at 2:09:31. Consequently, his prospects hinged on whether the United States secured a third spot in the Olympic lineup through world rankings.

As the qualifying window concluded, Korir’s outlook appeared promising. CJ Albertson, ranked third among Americans on the Road to Paris list, occupied the 73rd spot, with the top 80 men earning Olympic berths.

With Albertson’s position expected to transfer to Korir via World Athletics’ new quota reallocation protocol, Korir seemed well-positioned for Paris.

However, a final obstacle emerged. Countries without qualified athletes in any track & field event—each gender assessed separately—could enlist their highest-ranked athlete in the 100 meters, 800 meters, or marathon, potentially impacting Korir’s aspirations.