Leagues and governing federations of the five new possible Olympic sports were quick to cheer the Tokyo Olympic committee’s proposal to expand the 2020 Olympic program, though final decisions will not be made until next August. Tokyo organizers on Monday proposed 18 new medals in five different sports -- baseball/softball, karate, climbing, skateboarding and surfing. As popular national sports of Japan, the first two had been widely expected to be on the list. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred called the decision an "exciting step forward to hopefully seeing our game return to this great platform” in a statement issued by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. Baseball/softball left the Olympic program after the 2008 Beijing Games. Street League Skateboarding President & COO Brian Atlas has been working with the Int'l Skateboarding Federation to standardize and organize that sport’s int'l community. He said it would help build the profile of the sport and his league’s business prospects. "There’s a halo effect associated with skateboarding, knowing that this potential lies ahead is great,” Atlas said. “There’s nothing like watching your favorite skateboarder compete for his country. It’s just different stakes involved when it’s at the Olympic level, and of course our partners recognize that, and everybody who believes in growing the sport recognizes that." The IOC will vote to ratify Toyko’s choices in a meeting at the Rio Games next August. Under changes made last year to IOC rules, the Olympics are limited to 310 medal events and approximately 10,500 athletes, unless the local organizing committee agrees to a different figure. The new Tokyo proposals would add 474 athletes to the Olympics. If nothing else changes, Tokyo’s proposals would pose challenges for the capacity limits. Rio will have 306 medal events, while the '12 London Games had 10,568 athletes in 302 events. "Tokyo 2020's announcement today is an extraordinary moment for our sport and for the global Surfing Community,” said Int'l Surfing Association President Fernando Aguerre. Int'l Federation of Sport Climbing President Marco Scolaris called it “a great honor” to have been chosen. Bowling, squash and wushu were on a short list but were not selected.
SHORT LISTED BUT NO SELECTION: REUTERS' Julian Linden reported bowling, squash and wushu had "also been short-listed for inclusion in Tokyo but were left off the final recommended list, leaving their supporters devastated." World Squash Federation President Narayana Ramachandran said, "I know I speak on behalf of the millions of squash players around the world for whom the opportunity of seeing their sport participate in the Olympics has been an absolute priority -- and, like me, they will be heartbroken." As part of sweeping reforms initiated by IOC President Thomas Bach last year, "future Olympic hosts are now being offered the chance to bring in sports that are trendy in their countries." Organizers wanted sports that are "already well established in Japan," so new venues would not need to be built and "add to the ballooning costs, and popular with youth." The IOC said, "This is another concrete step forward in the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020, showing a new, fresh and very exciting approach to the Olympic Programme" (REUTERS, 9/28).
LOGISTICS OF NEW SPORTS: The AP reported under the recommendations, the men's baseball tournament would consist of "six teams and 144 total players, while the women's softball competition would have six teams and 90 players." Karate would have "eight men's and women's events and a total of 80 athletes; skateboarding proposes two street and two park events for 80 athletes; sports climbing has two events in bouldering, lead and speed combined for 40 athletes; and surfing would have two short board events for 40 competitors" (AP, 9/28).
