IOC Recommends Golf and Rugby for 2016 Olympic Games
Women’s Boxing Among Additions to London 2012
TORONTO, August 13, 2009 – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board made a number of recommendations today for the inclusion of select sports and events to the programme of upcoming Olympic Games. The IOC shortlisted the sports of golf and rugby for inclusion in the programme for the 2016 Olympic Games and added women’s boxing and a number of other events to London 2012.
Seven sports were vying for a position in the 2016 Olympic programme – baseball, golf, karate, roller sports, rugby, softball and squash. A proposal for golf and rugby will now be submitted to the full IOC Session for a final decision at its meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark in October. There are currently 26 core sports as part of the summer programme.
Golf and rugby were both at one point part of the Olympic programme. Golf was a medal sport at the St. Louis 1904 Olympic Games with Canada’s George S. Lyon capturing the Olympic title at the Glen Echo Country Club.
Rugby was last played at the Paris 1924 Olympic Games in the full 15-a-side format. Rugby sevens is being proposed for 2016. (Canada has never competed at the Olympic Games in the sport of rugby.)
For 2012, the IOC has added women’s boxing to the Olympic programme while a number of other events were also added or modified following requests made by 17 international sports federations. A complete listing of the event modifications can be found by visiting http://www.olympic.org.
“These are exciting developments for the Olympic Movement in Canada and around the world,” said COC Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General Chris Rudge. “We offer our full support for the addition of golf and rugby to the 2016 programme and are very pleased for this advancement for women in sport with boxing’s addition in 2012.”
“While this is a great step forward for these sports, we recognize the disappointment for the other organizations vying for inclusion,” Rudge continued to add. “They have been, and will continue to be, honored members of our organization.”
The Canadian Olympic Committee is a national, private, not-for-profit organization committed to sport excellence. It is responsible for all aspects of Canada’s involvement in the Olympic movement, including Canada’s participation in the Olympic and Pan American Games and a wide variety of programs that promote the Olympic Movement in Canada through cultural and educational means. For more information see the COC website: http://www.olympic.ca.
