The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo will have five new sports.
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Other sports approved to be added were karate, sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing.
“We’re not surprised because we knew about six weeks ago that the International Olympic Committee had approved and recommended softball and baseball be included”, said Greg Timm, president of the local White Rock Renegades softball association as well as chair of last month’s Women’s World Softball Championships, which were held in South Surrey.
Also, the 2020 Tokyo Twitter account officially welcomed athletes from all six sports overall, earlier on Wednesday.
That’s because skateboarding is one of five sports – along with karate, surfing, sports climbing and baseball/softball – that the International Olympic Committee has added to the next edition of the Summer Games at Tokyo 2020. The six sports will also add 18 more medals and almost 500 new athletes to the 2020 Olympics, according to Sports Illustrated.
Wednesday’s approval only applies to the 2020 Games. Baseball and softball were eliminated from the Olympic lineup after 2008 in Beijing.
Surfing Australia chair Beachley called it one of the biggest announcements in the history of a sport that has long had a laid-back image but is fiercely competitive.
There will be five sports climbing competitions involving some 474 athletes.
The election win was expected after the IOC Executive Board last month approved the package of five sports.
“This is a game-changing moment for Surfing”. The IOC voted them both out in 2005.
“This is really a milestone in the innovation of the Olympic programme which we can then experience in four years from now in Tokyo 2020”, IOC president Thomas Bach told delegates in Rio de Janeiro.
Karate will also be on program, and baseball and softball will return.
Surfing will include 20 competitors in both the men’s and women’s categories.
The Olympics is meant to be a celebration of sport, but for years it’s neglected some of the most popular sports out there.
Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori and IOC Vice President, Chairman of the Coordination Commission for the Game of XXXII Olympiad Tokyo 2020 John Coates (not seen) attend a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, on January 22, 2016.
Should we expect to see our favorite major leaguers competing for their respective countries? We are already seeing increased popularity of the sport across the world and the Olympic Games will provide an incredible platform to further showcase Surfing and its core values.
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That makes the addition of skateboarding a flawless fit, said Gary Ream, president of the International Skateboarding Federation (ISF).
