IOC Executive Board sets direction for sports and event programmes for future Olympic Games

The IOC Executive Board (EB) today took a number of decisions following the recommendations of the Olympic Programme Commission (OPC) regarding the composition of the sports and event programme of upcoming Olympic Games editions.

Based on the recommendations of the OPC, which met on 31 May 2021, the IOC EB finalised its decisions for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 and the Olympic Games LA28.

Paris 2024

On 7 December 2020, the IOC EB approved the event programme and athlete quotas for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. It also recognised the need to provide the necessary additional time to World Sailing and World Athletics to finalise their respective proposals for two pending mixed-gender events.

The IOC EB today took the following decisions:

Sailing

Following the IOC Executive Board decision to further review the mixed offshore event to assess the cost, complexity, safety and security of the athletes, a thorough analysis was conducted by World Sailing and the Paris 2024 Organising Committee.

In order to ensure consistency with other decisions taken across all events and sports for the finalisation of the Paris 2024 event programme in December 2020, the IOC EB decided to accept the first alternative event option proposed by World Sailing in place of offshore, namely to confirm the option to split the previously approved mixed kite event into men’s and women’s individual kite events while maintaining the previously approved total of 10 sailing events.

The IOC EB welcomed the youth appeal of this sailing event, the potential increase in universality due to the switch to gender-specific events and the reduction in the overall cost and complexity of the sailing programme.

Athletics

In finalising the Paris 2024 event programme, the IOC EB praised the commitment of World Athletics to reaching full gender equality in both athlete quotas and event numbers. However, with a view to not increasing the overall size of the Olympic Games, the EB determined to maintain the same number of athletics events (48) as on the programme for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, while offering the opportunity to World Athletics to replace the men’s 50km race walk event with a new mixed-gender event.

The IOC EB today confirmed that the mixed-gender event in athletics will be a race walk mixed team event. The competition format of this new event, including the exact distance and number of athletes per team, is due to be presented to the IOC EB in December 2021.

Finally, in addition to the confirmation of the pending events in sailing and athletics, the IOC EB approved the new competition format for modern pentathlon, which is based on a one-venue concept. This format, proposed by the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM), will ensure a compact and sustainable event approach with a short and dynamic competition flow, in line with the overall evolution of the sport.

The Olympic Games Paris 2024 will be the first fully gender-balanced Games, with exactly 50 per cent male and female participation, following on from the gender equality already achieved for Tokyo 2020, which will have 48.8 per cent female participation. Paris 2024 will also mark a growth in mixed events on the programme, compared to Tokyo 2020, from 18 to 20.

The full programme of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 is available here.

Milano Cortina 2026

Following the finalisation of the Paris 2024 event programme and noting the importance of setting a clear framework to be considered by the Olympic International Federations when putting forward their respective event and athlete quotas proposals, the IOC EB considered a similar approach for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

Therefore, the IOC EB today adopted the following key principles with regard to the event programme of Milano Cortina 2026:

Maintaining the overall athlete quota (including for any new sports) to 2,900 (as specified in the Olympic Charter);

Achieving gender equal participation across the Olympic Winter Games at event and discipline level where possible;

Prioritising new events that accommodate athletes within a sport’s existing quota allocation; and

Proposing new events only if they do not require additional Games venues.

This event programme framework reflects the IOC’s commitment to further strengthening the sustainability reforms of Olympic Agenda 2020+5 and reiterates key considerations around athlete quotas and the venue master plan in view of reducing the cost and complexity of hosting the Olympic Winter Games within a post-pandemic context.

LA28

The IOC EB today decided that the LA28 initial sports programme will be determined at the IOC Session in February 2022. The IOC EB will carry on its discussions around the sports programme at its next meeting in December 2021 upon the sport-specific recommendations of the OPC.

Background

The Olympic programme is developed in thorough consultation with the Organising Committees, International Federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and athletes, and finalised by the IOC Executive Board upon the recommendations of the Olympic Programme Commission.

The OPC has the responsibility of analysing the programme of sports and events for both the Games of the Olympiad and Olympic Winter Games and forming proposals for consideration by the IOC Executive Board.

While the IOC EB is the body responsible for deciding on events and disciplines, the IOC Session remains responsible for the composition of the Olympic programme as far as sports are concerned.

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