The executive board of the International Olympic Committee has formally accepted changes to the canoeing programme for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, recognising that the ICF has introduced changes that fit within the Olympic Agenda 2020.
The IOC encouraged international federations to present innovative new events that could attract a new audience, but would also not require additional athletes or new venues. The executive board received applications for 41 new events for Paris, but announced on Monday none of the proposals would make it onto the 2024 programme.
The ICF proposed introducing men’s and women’s extreme canoe slalom, which would be contested at the existing canoe slalom venue and not require any extra athlete quotas.
While the original request was for two extra medals, the IOC ruled no new medals would be available, and also informed the ICF it would lose 12 athlete quotas for Paris. This forced the ICF to look at creative ways to meet the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020 criteria, while protecting the canoeing brand.
The ICF believes the loss of 12 quotas would weaken the existing canoe sprint program. The men’s and women’s K1 200 will not be contested in Paris, however the new programme should enable more athletes to double up and strengthen the existing events.
IOC President, Thomas Bach, said bringing in new, exciting events represented the future for the Olympics.
“This is one of the results of Olympic Agenda 2020,” President Bach said.
“We have a clear priority – to introduce new sports that are popular among younger generations.
“We were very happy to have these proposals from Tokyo 2020, and now Paris 2024, because they are fully in line with these recommendations, and promise to be a great success from all that we can already hear and see from the athletes, and also the federations and the wider public.”
IOC sports director, Kit McConnell, said the executive board took into account applications that showed progression and innovation. Extreme slalom was one of only a handful of new sports accepted onto Paris 2024, but could only be approved after the agreed swap of two canoe sprint medals.
Mr. McConnell said the IOC was satisfied the new canoe sprint program for Paris provided opportunities for 200 metre athletes.
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