The inclusion of skateboarding would target the demographic the International Olympic Committee hopes to attract. Photo / Michael Rust
The inclusion of skateboarding would target the demographic the International Olympic Committee hopes to attract. Photo / Michael Rust
List of five new sports recommended for Tokyo Games features skateboarding and surfing
The accent is sharply on youth in the proposed list of sports to be added to the programme for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
It is a list that fits in with the International Olympic Committee's plans to make the event more relevant to a younger audience. Their Agenda 2020 strategy is a road map for the future and youth is key to that.
While there's no guarantee all five sports put forward by the Tokyo organisers for final consideration by the IOC in August next year will join the established 28 set for 2020, they have taken a big leap forward.
Baseball/softball is regarded as a certainty given its immense popularity in Japan. Conversely, karate's chances are slimmer, because the Olympics already has two other martial arts in taekwondo and judo.
Surfing, sport climbing and skateboarding would appeal to the precise audience the IOC are targeting.
"It would be amazing," New Zealand surfer Ella Williams said of the idea of having surfing on the Tokyo card.
"The standard has come such a long way, even in the past 10 years, especially among women. It's crazy. It can only get better and I think it's very positive and exciting."
Williams and Paige Hareb are the two New Zealanders on the world second-tier qualifying circuit.
Whangamata surfer Ella Williams could find herself in the frame for Tokyo if surfing is included at the 2020 Olympics. Photo / Col/NZ Surf
"The International Surfing Federation have been trying to work at it for a few years," said Hareb, who was 12th on the qualifying tour this year. "There's been a lot of wave pools being made now, so it's possible to have surfing in landlocked countries.
"It's a good idea for the Olympics if they want a younger generation to start, or keep watching the Olympics and be interested in it. I have a lot of friends who say they'd rather watch the X-Games for the skateboarding or freestyle skiing. That's what they enjoy more and I guess it's a little more exciting to a younger generation."
Sport Climbing New Zealand secretary David Sanders said applications had been put in for some years but had always fallen short.
"We were optimistic with rule changes [allowing host cities a say in sports selection] that we'd get another crack at it. We're very excited about the proposition," he said.
Sport climbing is proposed to have two sections - bouldering, which is low-level climbing without ropes, and lead and speed, which involves climbing walls with marks awarded for height gained and speed.
Street and park skateboarding has been included ahead of other rollersports including roller hockey, speed skating and artistic skating.
Karate has never been at the Olympics but, with 35 per cent female participation, its proponents argue it deserves a chance after missing out with bids for both London in 2012 and Rio next year.
Squash, bowling and wushu, another martial art, also missed the cut.
Things on the table
1 Five sports are in the frame for a place on the Tokyo 2020 programme - baseball/softball, karate, sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding
2 The IOC have a cap of 10,500 athletes at the summer Games, but proposed numbers for the five would keep the overall figure under that restriction
3 At least three of the five have strong appeal to younger participants, thus fitting into the IOC's drive to become more relevant to a wider audience.
