The IOC announced on Wednesday surfing, skateboarding, sport climbing, karate and baseball/softball will be included for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
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The Olympic Committee said in its announcement that the new sports would bring an increased focus on youth in the Olympics, which is part of the committee’s overall vision for the Tokyo games.
“You have to go, and sport has to go, to where they are and with this organisation we go to where the young people are so I’m extremely pleased with this proposal”.
“We believe the five sports deliver significant benefits, including worldwide youth appeal and great added value to Tokyo 2020 overall”.
According to OIC, the five new sports will add 18 events and 474 athletes, with equal numbers of women and men for all sports except baseball/softball.
Not sure how the whole drug-testing thing is going to work out, but hey, anyway, good news for those who wanted it: Skateboarding is now an Olympic sport!
Other sports approved to be added were karate, sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing. “With the many options that young people have, we can not expect any more that they will come automatically to us”. It must prove it’s a sport that truly captures the Olympic spirit.
The worldwide federations that oversee baseball and softball had vigorously campaigned for the return of both sports to the Olympics.
However, since the Summer Olympics take place during the summer it means the best players in the game will not be available.
The decision was made during the 129 International Olympic Committee session in Rio, days before the start of the 2016 Olympics. Wednesdays approval was for the Tokyo Games only.
Climbing will reportedly feature two categories for both men and women: bouldering and a combined lead and speed.
Venues are to be finalised by the end of the year, Mori said.
Women’s soccer and women’s softball are two hugely popular sports in the United States, and both have had worldwide success. “Just like snowboarding changed the face of the Winter Games, we hope to do the same at the Summer Games”.
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“Surfing’s inclusion into the Olympics would be a dream come true for our sport. The current athlete and event quotas are unaffected”, the International Olympic Committee clarified.
