This is the first year. The Games have gotten so large that they are almost too much to handle.
All countries can participate in the Senior World Championships.
To qualify for start positions at the Olympic Games, all athletes must be eligible to compete in the Olympic Games for their country. Boats who already qualify in the World Championships are not allowed to participate in the Hemispheric Qualifiers. So the athletes. The boats qualify, not the athletes. Team selection for the United States Olympic Team is a whole other story.