IOC Approves Tokyo 2020 Programme
The executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved the event programme for 2020’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, which aims to improve female participation, as well as appeal in youth and urban audiences, as well as the introduction of additional mixed-gender events.
The number of overall athletes in the Olympic programme will also be reduced in a bid to reduce the Games’ footprint, according to the board.
The new changes will lead to a net increase of 15 events, an overall reduction of 285 athletes from Rio 2016, and the highest representation of female athletes in Olympic history.
In Tokyo, the number of mixed events will double from nine in Rio 2016 to 18, with all the new events to make use of existing venues.
The decision also marks a significant step towards achieving the 50% gender balance at the Olympic Games in both athletes and events, in line with the Olympic Agenda 2020.
Canoe, rowing, shooting and weightlifting will move to gender-balanced in events and gender balance for the first time.
The programme also includes youth-focused and urban-based additions such as basketball 3×3 and BMX freestyle, on top of sport climbing and skateboarding.
Commenting on the decision, IOC president Thomas Bach said: “The fascinating new events that we approved today, together with the five new sports that were added to the Tokyo 2020 programme last year, represent a step-change in the Olympic programme. I am delighted that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will be more youthful, more urban and will include more women.”
In terms of reductions, weightlifting was amongst the hardest hit, with 64 quotas removed and a men’s event cut from the programme entirely. Rowing will also lose 24 athletes; shooting lost 30 and wrestling lost 56, while boxing has been told to cut two men’s categories to make way for two extra female ones.
Taekwondo and modern pentathlon unsuccessfully proposed respective mixed team and mixed relay events.
Cycling was amongst the winners of the changes after two track madison and two BMX freestyle park events were added to the programme.
Madison back in the Olympic Games in #Tokyo2020!! Guess I’m going to have to have another crack at it then…
— Mark Cavendish (@MarkCavendish) June 9, 2017
A mixed triathlon relay was added along with mixed doubles table tennis and mixed team events in archery and judo. Fencing also received two extra team competitions to end the current practice of two of the six missing out on a rotating basis.
New event in the @Tokyo2020 @Olympics – Mixed Team Relay @worldtriathlon #Triathlon pic.twitter.com/9Pg4c88XXz
— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) June 9, 2017
Meanwhile, the IOC’s executive board also announced it will retain all 28 sports that featured at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for the 2024 Olympic Games programme.
The move means that sports including rugby sevens will remain part of the Olympic programme beyond the 2020 Games in Tokyo.
