(ATR) The fate of five Olympic sports will be in the hands of the IOC on Wednesday.
Representatives from the baseball/softball, karate, skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing federations are in Rio de Janeiro for last minute lobbying. to the 85 IOC members who are in Rio for the 129th IOC Session.
The members will vote Wednesday afternoon on the package of five sports. A vote by acclamation is a possibility.
World Karate president Antonio Espinos says no sports presentations are planned.
"Everything looks good after so many years [of Olympic bidding]. If everything goes as planned, it’s going to be a big day for everybody," he tellsAround the Rings.
Baseball is the most popular sport in Japan, while IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell said the other four sports represent a way to "focus on youth sports and youth engagement," for the next Games.
International Surfing Association Fernando Aguerre brought up the youth aspect when speaking with ATR on Tuesday.
"Surfing represents such a multitude of many things that the youth of the world respect and care about. Environment, social activity, all these free sports that are practiced in nature. We have a unique set of values that will bring a different demographic that today is not fully satisfied."
All of the sports except for baseball/softball would be making their Olympic debuts if accepted into Tokyo 2020. Baseball was a full part of the Olympic program from 1992 to 2008, with softball joining in 1996 before also being dropped after the Beijing Games.
If passed, the new sports would add 474 athletes in 18 extra events. The IOC would have four years to restructure the Tokyo 2020 program to avoid enlarging the number of athletes at the Games.
Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms passed in 2014 have allowed the IOC to take a Games-by-Games look at the sports program. This allows the membership to tailor the sports program to a host city, while retaining the 25 core sports. The five federations will have to keep trying to stay on the program in 2024 and beyond.
Written by Aaron Bauerin Rio de Janieiro
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