Olympic Games
Events > Olympics > Summer > Selecting Sports
Sport Inclusion
In July 2007, the International Olympic Committee adopted more flexible rules to add new Olympic sports. This has given renewed hope to many sports that have been on the waiting list for many years. Such sports include Rugby, Golf, Karate, Squash and Roller Sports.
New System
A new system has been introduced, which consists of 25 core sports with three “floating” sports. This new system will start from the Olympics from 2020. However, it is not all good news, as all sports would be up for review after each Olympics. New sports will be included or others dropped by a simple majority vote (compared to currently requiring a 2/3’s majority).
Dropping Sports
There needs to be exceptional circumstances for a core sport to be dropped from the program, such as a drug scandal, corruption or a massive drop in popularity. There are currently 28 sports on the program for the Beijing Games, which will drop to 26 for London when Baseball and Softball will be dropped from the program.
New Sports
With the new inclusion system, Baseball and Softball will be campaigning to get back on the program for the 2016 Olympics along with the other five sports in the running: Karate, Squash, Roller Sports, Rugby and Golf. There are also moves to include Skateboarding at the London Olympics, which could occur if they compete as a cycling discipline and not as a new sport.
Related Pages
- current List of Sports in the Olympic Games
- Discontinued Olympic Sports
