The IOC on Sunday kicks off three days of meetings in Lausanne, Switzerland. Among many other issues, the program for the '18 PyeongChang Games is up for final approval, and that could mean synchronized figure skating will be added for the first time. Synchronized skating is a radically different form of the sport, with 16 skaters on the ice simultaneously. Adding the discipline would more than double the size of the figure skating team and impose new costs on the NGBs, but also create potentially lucrative new revenue opportunities.
Supporters believe synchro could be a TV ratings hit and a massive sponsorship opportunity, because it adds visual complexity and a team dynamic without sacrificing the grace and artistry that make the core disciplines so popular with viewers. U.S. Figure Skating Dir of Communications Barbara Reichert said, "In America, synchronized skating is one of our fastest growing disciplines. It’s an exciting sport to watch, and the team aspect of it really makes it popular right around that age group, in college and coming out college."
The IOC also will detail the process by which Toyko Games organizers will nominate a new sport for inclusion in the '20 program. After the board meets, the full IOC will hear presentations from the two candidate cities to host the '22 Games – Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan. The IOC will choose a winner during a meeting in Malaysia on July 31. Embattled FIFA President and IOC member Sepp Blatter will not attend.
