FINA will not propose adding any new aquatic events to the Olympic program in 2024, BBC reporter Nick Hope confirmed with the organization.
Bad news for those hoping for an expansion in aquatic sports for the 2024 Olympics as FINA confirm to me they are not proposing any new medal events for the Paris Games.
The IOC will announce the finalised sport list next week. FINA hope high diving can be an exhibition event. pic.twitter.com/RD40krrS5L
— ✌️🏊🏻♂️ 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲 🇬🇧✌️ (@NickHopeTV) December 4, 2020
Swimming recently got a new addition to the Olympic program just three years ago — one that we have yet to see in action due to the Tokyo 2020 postponement — when the men’s 800 freestyle, women’s 1500 freestyle and mixed 400 medley relay joined the lineup back in 2017.
While it’s certainly a divisive issue among swim fans, the 50 backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly are three events several have hoped would be added to the Olympic program. They have been a part of the Long Course World Championship schedule since 2001, though the argument against it is that continually adding events somewhat devalues the significance of an Olympic medal.
With the additions made in 2017, the mixed 400 freestyle relay is the only non-stroke 50 swimming event on the World Championship schedule that is not an Olympic event.
The International Olympic Committee will announce a finalized sport list next week, according to Hope. FINA is hoping to have high diving, which has been on the World Championship schedule since 2013, to run as an exhibition event, with medals going on the line starting in 2028.
I guess MA isn’t going to Paris then.
The only change needed from the 2016 format was picking the same 800/1500 distance for men and women. Other than that, I think having 50s of each stroke and the mixed relays are a joke.
They have been “a part” rather than “apart” #personalbugbear
If you’re really good, in say, the 50M backstroke and not much else and you want a shot at Olympic glory then perhaps the solution is to train a bit harder and become very good over 100M. This idea that we should add more and more events to cater for everyone’s extreme specialty is over the top. Look at any stroke over 50/100, 100/200 and 200/400 and you will see a huge overlap in terms of the all-time fastest performers. The last time I counted swimming had 35 pool events at the Olympics. I think that’s more than enough.
This is the best news I’ve heard since the vaccines are coming.
I always think of the old timers like Dawn Fraser who won a total of 4 gold medals. With todays program she would have probably won 6 Golds alone in 1956 and maybe 12+ Golds overall in 3 Games. Not a fan of medal inflation- especially for doing the same thing (like swimming 100m).
How did the mixed relay become part of the program again?
The IOC have this agenda across all sports looking at ‘mixed’ events…they have a lot of them at the Youth Olympics. Sailing, judo, ice skating and triathlon are a few that have added them to the Olympics….Supposedly about bringing people together (or some other slogan)…..
That’s correct: https://swimswam.com/mixed-relays-eliminated-from-2022-youth-olympics-swimming-program/
If a 9-second running race determines the “fastest runner in the world”, then there should be 25m swim races (or at least 1) to determine the “fastest swimmer in the world”.
Other than the need for a SCM-configured pool, I’ve never understood why 25s are never considered given that the 100 m dash is the marquee event of the entire summer Olympics. The 50 free is far from a crapshoot as a swimswam article from a week or two ago showed. Recent swimswam podcasts with Anthony Ervin and George Bovell talked about how they learned to perfectly “build the 50” in their best races… we should have an event that is full throttle from start to finish, like running… Read more »
Oh god I’m just picturing Caeleb Dressel doing the 25 free…
Totally, exactly my thoughts. With present-day Dressel, the mens 25m free might be as predictable as the women’s 1500.