Skateboarding and BMX freestyle have a shot at becoming Olympic sports at the 2016 Summer Games …
Cycling’s world governing body, the Switzerland-based Union Cycliste Internationale, and others are lobbying for the sports to be added to the 2016 Games in Rio …
UCI attempted to include skateboarding in London’s 2012 Olympics, but it fell through …
… The IOC has set a limit of 28 sports for the 2016 Games, meaning several sports will compete over the last two available slots. For example, baseball and softball are making bids for a return, as both were dropped from the 2012 program because not enough top players were able to compete. Other events looking for a spot in Rio include golf, rugby, squash and karate.
ESPN (April 2011)
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5 comments ↓
How ’bout they ditch gymnastics and we go off and do our own thing, free of any IOC shenanigans?
Um no that wouldn’t work!
I thought Rugby 7s were already in for 2016?
The acrobatic gymnastics community is always pushing to be included, that is the whole reason the sport linked up with FIG in the late 90s, the lure of teh Olympics. Apparently though another gymsport would have to be knocked out for that to happen….
That piece is so confused.
Yes, the Sports Programme for Rio 2016 is already set – rugby and golf were added at the IOC session in Copenhagen 2009.
There is still, however, time for sports already on the programme to propose new disciplines, which is where it gets really confusing, especially in the case of skateboarding because of conflict over it’s global governance. Cycling tried to get skateboarding in to the Games under its banner for London 2012 – and it seems it will try again for Rio 2016 during the London Session.
Also during the London Session, the IOC will vote to remove one sport from the Olympic Programme for the 2020 Games. This sport will be replaced from a shortlist of candidates that includes ‘roller sports’ (which also proposes skateboarding as on of its disciplines.) Campaigning is already underway and the results of this contest will be known in 2013. The IOC executive board will select its preferred candidate then the IOC Session in Buenos Aires will vote on whether to include this sport from 2020 onwards.
So is that clear now !
Yeesh, Cat.
Clear as mud.
I once attended a meeting with Skateboard USA where they told us “Vert” was a done deal for 2012. Under Cycling.
… obviously, it wasn’t.
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