News
2013-02-12

2020 Olympics: 8 sports aiming at inclusion
The EB of the IOC voted wrestling out of the core sports. FILA will have to join the 7 shorlisted sports (including baseball/softball) in the May presentation

by Riccardo Schiroli

The path to the program of the 2020 Summer Olympics will be a narrow one. There will be 8 sports aiming at inclusion and only 1 will be reccomended to the 125th IOC session.
The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) agreed, during a meeting on Tuesday February 11, on the 25 sports it will propose to the 125th IOC Session for approval as the core sports for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games: athletics, rowing, badminton, basketball, boxing, canoeing, cycling, equestrian, fencing, football, gymnastics, weightlifting, handball, hockey, judo, swimming, modern pentathlon, taekwondo, tennis, table tennis, shooting, archery, triathlon, sailing and volleyball.

The EB recommended that wrestling, governed by the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA), not be included on the list of core sports. Wrestling will now join the 7 shortlisted sports (baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, wakeboarding and wushu) vying for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic programme as an additional sport.
The 8 sports are scheduled to make presentations to the Executive Board at its meeting in St Petersburg, Russia, in May. The EB will select which of the 8 sports to recommend to the 125th IOC Session for inclusion as an additional sport on the 2020 programme.

In an effort to ensure the Olympic Games remain relevant to sports fans of all generations, the Olympic Programme Commission systematically reviews every sport following each edition of the Games.

Golf and rugby sevens were added in 2009 as additional sports to the 2016 Olympic programme and will be included, with the same status, in the 2020 Games.

The 125th IOC Session will take place from 7 to 10 September in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

(From IBAF Website)