A series of leaks from the future plans of the International Olympic Committee to Kyodo News sheds light on the future of the Olympic movement globally, including plans to reduce the number of sports at the Brisbane Olympics, a freeze on an expanded definition of “winter” sports, and a full pause on Esports.
The news comes ahead of this week’s Executive Board meeting in Switzerland.
Citing unnamed sources, Kyodo News reports that the 2032 Brisbane Olympics are “set to undergo a significant reduction in the number of sports due to financial concerns, and even the sports retained could have some of their disciplines or events cut.”
The report wasn’t specific about what events or disciplines, but if confirmed, it would be a retreat from the record-high of 36 sports at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, in addition to adding new events in sports like swimming (the stroke 50s).
Number of Sports at Each Summer Olympic Games
- Los Angeles 1984 – 23
- Seoul 1988 – 23
- Barcelona 1992 – 25
- Atlanta 1996 – 26
- Sydney 2000 – 28
- Athens 2004 – 28
- Beijing 2008 – 28
- London 2012 – 26
- Rio 2016 – 28
- Tokyo 2020 – 33
- Paris 2024 – 32
- Los Angeles 2028 – 36
Making the Olympic Games more economically sustainable has been an ongoing focus and challenge for the IOC.
Brisbane’s bid included 28 sports, but that bid was made after the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, which had 28 sports.
None-the-less, the LA 2028 Games grew to 36, including five more implemented by the Local Organizing Committee: softball & baseball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse, and squash.
What Makes a “Winter” Sport?
With a growing logjam of emerging sports trying to hang their economic futures on Olympic inclusion, all corners of the sport-o-sphere have tried pitching creative ways to get their events into the Winter Olympics – perceived to be the ‘softer’ of the two versions to access.
Even in swimming, many people have proposed adding short course swimming to the Winter Games.
Kyodo News’ reporting says that IOC President Kirsty Coventry and her colleagues at the IOC have communicated to its membership that they will uphold the Olympic Charter’s definition of “only those sports which are practice on snow or ice are considered as winter sports.”
That means sports like cross country running and cyclocross, which have been floated for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps and Nice, will be iced out for now. It does leave room for ice swimming, though that side of the sport probably has a lot of development to go before it would be considered for Olympic competition.
The Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games had 329 medal events, while the Winter Olympics in Italy earlier this year had just 116. Moving some summer sports to the Winter Games was viewed as a potential check on the inflation of the Summer Games.
Esports Tabled
While Coventry and the IOC dropped plans for Olympic Esports Games shortly after her election, there was still some conversation about where Esports fit into the Olympic movement.
According to Kyodo News, Coventry has put its Esports Commission activities on hold.
soon enough 90% of the medals given out at a given Games will be from swimming
THIS IS WHAT YOU HEATHENS WANT WITH THE 50s
I assume, and I’ve been told open water is in jeopardy. Pretty sure they will find a way to keep it for 2032 in AUS, but after that ???
Is there VAR for flag football. If so, God help us.
Get rid of equestrian… unless the jockeys get off the horses and run the obstacle course themselves. Get rid of anything that only requires hand-eye coordination or aim, I don’t care if weaponry has historical significance for the Olympics. I want to see athletes perform amazing athletic feats of human strength, speed, and agility.
Get rid of the mixed relays in Swimming and Track. They’re the biggest joke I’ve ever seen in sports.
1 Universality invitation per country is enough. Too many “tourists” out there taking a spot from real contenders. Swimmers from these countries never improve and it’s been proven time and time again. The medals will go to the usual powerhouses who invest in swimming with the exception of Tunisia and South Africa.
When it comes to softball & baseball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse, and squash. They were added to help Uncle Sam top the medal tally in 28. Each host country does that and these sports are also where their medal table rival China is weak at.
I don’t think you’d like the outcome if they went to 1 universality swimmer per country, remembering that different cultures around the world have different approaches to the position of women in their societies. So that’s definitely not happening.
I’d be on board with making Universality more competitive somehow. Just being slow from a country bad at swimming isn’t enough, you have to be faster than the other swimmers from countries that are bad at swimming. Might force some real development in some of those places.
Get rid of all the mixed relays
Perfect time to get rid of breaststroke
150 and 300 IM ?
Oh and I forgot 300 Medley Relay
You’ve convinced me, they should scrap all non-free events!
What will be “your” stroke for 3rd stroke of the IM, Fly?
I think the part about retained sports could have some disciplines or event cut means sports like cycling, which is divided in 4 disciplines risks to get cut to 3, or even 2. Road of track cycling will staym but BMX or Mountain Bike are at risk, especially the latter. I can’t see how reducing number of swimming, track cycling or rowing events could cut much costs, they’d look to take away events that require their specific venue and/or have fewer athletes involved