Proposed 2024 Sports Taking Nothing for Granted -- Federation Focus

(ATR) The IOC Program Commission meets in Lausanne on Friday to discuss the four additional sports for the Paris 2024 Olympic Program.

The organizing committee for the 2024 Games selected breaking, surfing, sport climbing and skateboarding last week as its choices. The last three will be making their debut in the Tokyo 2020 program while breaking has never been a full Olympic sport.

The Commission, chaired by the Italian Franco Carraro, will analyze the sports and is then expected to submit its opinions to the IOC Executive Committee that will meet later in March.

If the Executive gives the go-ahead to the selections, then the IOC Session from June 24 to 26 will give provisional approval. Formal confirmation by the IOC Executive Board in December 2020, following the Tokyo Games. would take care of the final approval.

The federations for two of the sports, sport climbing and surfing, tell Around the Rings that a spot in Paris 2024 is not a given.

"Yes, another hold up on our climb. But there are many more before we can really celebrate," says Marco Scolaris, the president of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC).

"In the meantime, we are working hard to continue presenting the unique values and athleticism of Sport Climbing and preparing for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where we shape our climb to the Olympic Games Paris 2024."

The International Surfing Association (ISA) echoed those sentiments, a spokesperson telling ATR"we remain part of an ongoing process which will see the International Olympic Committee make a final decision in December 2020. Until this time, we will continue to work hard to grow Surfing around the world, help our athletes flourish and ensure that – at Tokyo 2020 – the Olympic Family and all sports fans see the very best our sport has to offer."

The ISA says its mission "has always been to see Surfing become a long-term partner of the Olympic movement, and with the decision of Paris 2024 to include the sport on its list we have moved one step closer to achieving this dream."

The federation also likes surfing’s chances at being in a third straight Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028.

"Surfing is an integral part of the DNA of Southern California and was even recently made the official sport of the state by the California legislature. Our relationship with LA 2028 is solid and even if the process hasn’t formally started for their sports program, we are excited by the prospect of the intrinsic value surfing can bring to the 2028 Games," says the ISA spokesperson.

When asked about staying in the Olympic program past 2024, Scolaris said that "We are focused on the present and the next holds in sight," adding that "while we await the approval of the IOC Executive Board and then the IOC Session, our efforts are on bringing value to the Olympic Movement and meeting expectations at Tokyo 2020."

The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), the governing body for breaking, was succinct when asked about 2028.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves! We'll be happy to discuss this if and when Breaking is included on the 2024 program," a WDSF spokesperson told ATR.

Should breaking make the cut for 2024, the WDSF believes "the great success" of the sport's debut at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in October would definitely have influenced the decision.

"The YOG put Breaking in the Olympic spotlight, and our athletes and the team that organized the competition 100 percent delivered. The Olympic Movement saw that Breaking is a vibrant, skillful and fully inclusive DanceSport with international and youth appeal. We had bumper crowds watching Breaking at the Urban Park each day, and the feedback we received was incredibly positive across the board."

Written by Gerard Farek

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