International Skateboarding Fed Approaching Tokyo 2020 With Caution

(ATR) The International Skateboarding Federation is biding its time before getting involved with Tokyo 2020 organizers.

ISF president Gary Ream told Around the Rings that the federation hasn’t staged any talks with Tokyo 2020 yet, despite representing skateboarding at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, last summer.

"That’s in the future," Ream said. "It’s one step at a time for us to make sure this is all done right."

"I’m sure if there is an opportunity to meet and skateboarding is in a position to be relevant, then we’ll probably be in those meetings."

Tokyo 2020 established the additional event program panel earlier this year to help determine events to add to the program under the flexibility afforded by Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms. Sports hoping to join the Olympic program are required to pitch their event to the panel.

Last week, ATR learned that rival skateboarding governing body World Skateboarding Federation is holding ongoing discussions with Tokyo 2020 organizers. According to WSF president Tim McFerran, the meetings have been "well-received."

Ream, however, prefers a different approach to Olympic involvement.

"We’ve been sitting, organized, in preparation for when and if skateboarding is desired to be in the Games by the IOC," Ream said.

"When they started getting closer to that thought process, they called us and asked us to do the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games."

"In the next few months, the IOC has asked me to be a part of some meetings, which I will be a part of."

"The possibility of what happens is based on what the IOC needs, not what I or skateboarding wants," he added.

The IOC chose the ISF to represent skateboarding at the Sports Lab at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games. The showcase highlighted sports which may, in the future, merit Olympic inclusion.

Written by Andrew Murrell

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