The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) is leaving the ASOIF, along with the International Softball Federation (ISF), after the two sports were dropped from the 2012 Summer Olympic program. (Getty Images)(ATR) The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) says goodbye to two sports, while the remaining Olympic sports federations prepare for another year of world championships and congresses in 2009.
The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and the International Softball Federation (ISF) are leaving the ASOIF family this year after baseball and softball were dropped from the program for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, reducing the number of summer Olympic sports federations from 28 to 26.
The exile of the IBAF and ISF may be short-lived, however, as baseball and softball are among the seven sports who are contending for the two spots available on the 2016 Summer Olympic program, which will be decided at the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen, Denmark in October. The Session also selects the host of the 2016 Games.
The remaining international Olympic federations will get together with the non-Olympic federations for the SportAccord IF Forum in Lausanne, Switzerland Nov. 17-19.
Summer Federations
It will be a busy year for the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), with the IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Berlin, Germany Aug. 15-23 the highlight of the year for the federation.
The IAAF will also hold a Congress during the world track and field championships in Berlin in August.
IAAF world championships will also be held for cross country in Amman, Jordan March 28 and the half marathon in Birmingham, England Oct. 11 and the federation will hold its season-ending World Athletics Final in Thessaloniki, Greece Sept. 12-13.
It should also be a memorable year for swimming's international federation as FINA holds its 13th world championships in Rome July 18-Aug. 1, with Michael Phelps, fresh off his eight gold medal-winning performance in Beijing, expected to be the main attraction.
FINA also holds its quadrennial General Congress in Rome during the world championships July 24, where the federation will hold elections for its officials.
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) is slated to hold world championships for rhythmic gymnastics in Mie, Japan Sept. 9-13 and for artistic gymnastics in London Oct. 12-18.
The International Cycling Union will have world championships scheduled in track (Pruskow, Poland , March 25-29), BMX (Adelaide, Australia, July 20-26) and trials (Canberra, Australia, Sept. 2-6).
FILA, wrestling's international governing body, will have world championships in freestyle, greco roman and women's wrestling in Herring, Denmark Sept. 21-27 and grappling in Lucerne, Switzerland Nov. 17-19.
Other summer federations hosting world championships in 2009 are the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) (Goyong City, South Korea, Nov. 17-27), the International Handball Federation (IHF) (men's – Croatia, Jan. 16-Feb. 1; women's -- China, Nov. 28-Dec. 13), the International Rowing Federation (FISA) (Poznan, Poland, Aug. FINA will hold its world championships and congress in Rome in July. (Getty Images)23-30), the International Canoe Federation (ICF) (La Seu de Urgell, Spain, Sept. 8-13), the International Fencing Federation (FIE) (Antalya, Turkey, Sept. 30-Oct. 8), modern pentathlon (UIPM) (London, Aug. 11-19), the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) (individual – Copenhagen, Denmark, Oct. 14-18; team – Baku, Azerbaijan, June 10-14), the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) (Yokohama, Japan, April 28-May 5), archery (FITA) (indoor – Rzeszow, Poland, March 4-8; outdoor – Ulsan, South Korea, Sept. 1-10), the International Triathlon Union (ITU) (Gold Coast, Australia, Sept. 9-13), the Badminton World Federation (BWF) (New Delhi, India, Aug. 10-16) and the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) (Maribor, Slovakia, Aug. 6-17).
Other summer federations holding congresses this year are UIPM (Copenhagen, Denmark, Oct. 8-11), FITA (Ulsan, South Korea, Aug. 30-31), the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) (Madrid, Spain, March 31-April 2) and IHF (Cairo, Egypt, June 4-7). ITTF has several meetings on tap, including an executive committee The World Figure Skating Championships in Los Angeles are among the world championships to be held by the International Skating Union (ISU) this year. (Getty Images)meeting in Doha, Qatar Feb. 20-21, executive meetings in Yokohama, Japan April 27 and May 5, its annual general meeting and a board of directors meeting in Yokohama April 30 and May 2 respectively.
Winter Federations
The International Skating Union (ISU) will be among several winter federations with world championships in its schedule, with the ISU holding the World Figure Skating Championship in Los Angeles March 23-29, along with speed skating championships in sprint (Moscow, Jan. 17-18), allround (Heerenveen, Netherlands, March 19-21), individual short track (Vienna, Austria, March 6-8) and team short track (Heerenveen, March 14-15).
The International Skiing Federation (FIS) enters 2009 with several world championships on its schedule, with the FIS World Championship in alpine skiing in Val d'Isere, France Feb. 3-15 the most prominent.
FIS will also present world championships in cross country, ski jumping and nordic combined in Liberac, Czech Republic Feb. 18-March 1, snowboarding in Gangwon, South Korea Jan. 15-25 and freestyle in Inawashiro, Japan March 2-8.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) will hold world championships for men in Switzerland April 24-May 10 and women in Hameenlinna, Finland April 4-12 as well its annual congress in Bern, Switzerland May 7-9 and a semi-annual congress in La Marsa, Tunisia Sept. 16-20.
Other winter federations with world championships on their 2009 schedule are the International Biathlon Union (IBU) (PyeongChang, South Korea, Feb. 13-22), the International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation (FIBT) (Lake Placid, N.Y., Feb. 16-March 1), the World Curling Federation (WCF) (women – Gangneung, South Korea, March 21-29; men – Moncton, New Brunswick, April 4-12; mixed doubles, Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy, April 18-26) and the International Luge Federation (FIL) (artificial track – Lake Placid, N.Y., Feb. 6-8; natural track – Moos, Italy, Feb. 12-15).
Written by Greg Oshust.
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