IOC Confirms Shortlist For Final Olympic Sport
The IOC has announced the shortlist for the final space on the 2020 Olympic Games agenda, with wrestling, squash and baseball/softball all set to be considered for inclusion before a final decision at the body’s 125th session in Buenos Aires in September.
Following a vote in Russia this week, the shortlist was reduced from eight sports to three, with karate, wakeboarding, roller sports, climbing and wushu all omitted.
The space in the roster was created when wrestling was originally dropped from the IOC’s core programme in February, however – with the sport considered a traditional Olympic discipline – it was later awarded a final chance to earn its place back, but would have to compete with the other seven hopefuls.
The sport, which combines freestyle Greco-Roman events, was included in the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896 and has been at every Games since.
Meanwhile, squash has never been included at the Games, despite two previous attempts for inclusion, while baseball/softball have united as one bid, following previous bids as separate sports. Baseball and softball were dropped as individual sports after the Beijing Games in 2008.
The IOC president, Jacques Rogge, said: ‘The executive board received excellent presentations today [Wednesday] from eight international federations. It was never going to be an easy decision but I feel my colleagues on the board made a good decision in selecting baseball/softball, squash and wrestling to be put forward in Buenos Aires. I wish the three shortlisted sports the best of luck in the run-up to the vote in September and would like to thank the other sports for their hard work and dedication.’
Only one sport will be added to the 2020 roster in September, when the IOC will also vote on the location.
All sports gave a 20-minute presentation to the IOC executive board following a question and answer session, but only one will join rugby sevens, golf and the 25 other core sports in 2020.
The commission uses 39 criteria in determining a sport’s suitability for the Olympic Games, including youth appeal, universality, popularity, good governance, respect for athletes and respect for the Olympic values.
