(ATR) World championships, change atop SportAccord and bidding for future Games mean a busy year ahead for federations summer and winter, Olympic and otherwise.
After presentations last month in Lausanne from seven sports seeking to join the 2020 Olympics, members of the IOC Program Commission are tasked with delivering a report later this month that will inform the Executive Board which sport to recommend for inclusion – and which to cut from the Games.
Baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, wakeboard and wushu are the contenders for what will most likely be just one open spot, at least for 2020 and 2024.
It’s all part of the IOC plan to arrive at 25 core sports by the close of 2013.
EB members make their first proposal – which to cut – Feb. 12 to 13 in Lausanne. Their second proposal – which, if any, to add – will be made May 26 to 31 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Also on the sidelines of SportAccord, the umbrella organization for international federations will elect a new president upon the retirement of Hein Verbruggen.
While judo boss Marius Vizer has indicated his interest in serving, the search committee wants to find candidates who do not already hold office with an IF. In an organization representing 100+ sports, Olympic and non-Olympic, the ideal is a leader who can avoid the appearance of favoritism.
Voting is set for the SportAccord General Assembly on May 31.
As with other stakeholders in the Olympic Movement, the 125th IOC Session also looms large for the year ahead.
EB recommendations on the 2020 sports program are subject to the approval of IOC members at large when they gather Sept. 4-12 in Argentina.
Federations will also learn the host of the 2020 Olympics and the identity of the next IOC president following two key ballots in Buenos Aires.
In the meantime, world championships in all seven winter Olympic sports and 21 of the 28 summer Olympic sports, plus the FIFA Confederations Cup, make for a packed schedule in 2013.
Major Competitions Calendar
Jan. 11-27 – IHF World Men’s Handball Championship – Spain
Jan. 17-27 – FIS Snowboard World Championships – Stoneham, Canada
Jan. 26-27 – ISU World Sprint Speed Skating Championships – Salt Lake City
Jan. 21-Feb. 3 – FIBT World Championships – St. Moritz, Switzerland
Feb. 1-2 – FIL World Luge Championships – Whistler, Canada
Feb. 5-17 – FIS Alpine World Ski Championships – Schladming, Austria
Feb. 6-17 – IBU Biathlon World Championships – Nove Mesto, Czech Republic
Feb. 16-17 – ISU World Allround Speed Skating Championships – Hamar, Norway
Feb. 20-24 – UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Minsk, Belarus
Feb. 20-March 3 – FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2013 – Val di Fiemme, Italy
March 5-10 – FIS Freestyle World Championships – Voss/Oslo
March 8-10 – ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships – Debrecen, Hungary
March 11-17 – ISU World Figure Skating Championships – London, Ontario
March 16-24 – WCF World Women’s Curling Championship – Riga, Latvia
March 21-24 – ISU World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships – Sochi
March 30-April 7 – WCF Ford World Men's Curling Championship – Victoria, Canada
April 2-9 – IIHF Women’s Ice Hockey World Championship – Ottawa, Canada
May 3-19 – IIHF Men’s Ice Hockey World Championship – Stockholm and Helsinki
May 13-20 – ITTF World Table Tennis Championships – Paris
June 15-30 – FIFA Confederations Cup – Brazil
June 28-30 – IRB Rugby World Cup Sevens – Moscow
July 1-7 – FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships – Stare Jablonki, Poland
July 15-21 – WTF World Taekwondo Championships – Puebla, Mexico
July 19-Aug. 4 – FINA World Aquatics Championships – Barcelona
July 24-28 – UCI BMX World Championships – Auckland, New Zealand
Aug. 4-11 – BWF World Badminton Championships– Guangzhou, China
Aug. 6-14 – FIE World Fencing Championships – Budapest, Hungary
Aug. 10-18 – IAAF World Championships in Athletics – Moscow
Aug. 14-18 – ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships – Duisburg, Germany
Aug. 15-21 – UIPM World Modern Pentathlon Championships – Kaoshiung, Chinese Taipei
Aug. 25-Sept. 1 – FISA World Rowing Championships – Chungju, South Korea
Aug. 26-Sept. 1 – UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships – Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Aug. 26-Sept. 1 – IJF Judo World Championships – Rio de Janeiro
Sept. 11-15 – ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships – Prague, Czech Republic
Sept. 11-16 – ITU World Triathlon Grand Final – London
Sept. 14-24 – FIG World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships –Kiev, Ukraine
Sept. 16-22 – FILA Wrestling World Championships – Budapest, Hungary
Sept. 21-29 – UCI Road World Championships – Florence, Italy
Sept. 29-Oct. 6 – WA World Archery Championships – Antalya, Turkey
Sept. 30-Oct. 6 – FIG World Artistic Gymnastics Championships – Antwerp, Belgium
Oct. 4-13 – AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships – Almaty, Kazakhstan
Oct. 16-23 – IWF World Weightlifting Championships – Warsaw, Poland
Nov. 2-3 – ITF Fed Cup Final – Location TBD
Nov. 7-10 – FIG Trampoline World Championships – Sofia, Bulgaria
Nov. 15-17 – ITF Davis Cup Final – Location TBD
Dec. 7-22 – IHF World Women's Handball Championship – Serbia
Written by Matthew Grayson.
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