February 11/13 18:38 pm - IOC to Revise Sport List for 2020 & Discuss Doping in Cycling

Posted by Editoress on 02/11/13
 

The 15 member IOC executive board is meeting this week, and one of the topics of discussion will be the removal of an existing sport to make way for a new one.  A report will be presented that analyzes all current sports based on nearly 40 criteria, including ticket sales, anti-doping policies, television ratings, popularity and global participation.

Although cycling has been under fire lately for the Lance Armstrong doping scandal, it is considered to be pretty 'safe'.  At the London Games the sport received some of the highest television ratings, and even WADA agrees that it has some of the strictest anti-doping programs (such as the biological passport program).  Cycling is actually applying to increase the number of events, hoping to add the Points Race, Freestyle BMX and Mountain Bike Eliminator.

Sports considered to be most at risk are Modern Pentathlon (fencing, horse riding, swimming, running and shooting - required skills for a 19th century cavalry officer), Taekwondo, Wrestling, Badminton and Table Tennis.  The removal will make way for the inclusion of another sport.

The last sports to be removed were Softball and Baseball (after the 2008 Games), which will be replaced in 2016 by Golf and Rugby.  Sports on the list to potentially replace the removed one are karate, squash, roller sports, sport climbing, wakeboarding, wushu, and a combined Softball-Baseball program.  Whichever sport is excluded will also be added to that list.

The IOC executive board is scheduled to also discuss the ongoing doping revelations in cycling.  UCI president Pat McQuaid (a member of the IOC) has urged the IOC to become involved and possibly help fund a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, however, the expectation is that instead to IOC will urge the UCI and WADA to work together.