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22 | Touchline issue 22 | November 2015
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S
omewhere behind the International Olympics Committee’s
headquarters in Lausanne, there is a large warehouse. Contained
within, the discarded sports of bygone days. There, tug-of-war
leans against the moldering corpse of live pigeon shooting, while in
another corner sits roller hockey. Rope-climbing gathers cobwebs and
club swinging has given up all hope of being dusted off and rolled out
for Rio in 2016.
Sports, like any pastime, are not immune to fashion. Some can stay
relevant- track and field is the sporting equivalent of the little black
dress, and swimming can be identified as a classic, two-buttoned suit.
One of the great challenges for the IOC is staying current without
looking so-last-decade.
For the Olympics to represent the sporting world, to reflect the
tradition of the past, to stay fresh and dynamic, they need to stick with
a core of recognised sports, while at the same time opening the door to
some newcomers. With that mission in mind, in 2009 the IOC adopted a
new policy for choosing which sports would stay and which could go.
For the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, there will be 25 core sports.
These represent the old guard, the truly Olympian sports which
generations have seen played over the past century. These include
sports such as track and field, swimming, football, equestrian and
boxing. Then there are three floating sports, which may not make it
even as far as 2020. These sports are effectively on trial. The IOC will be
carefully reviewing spectator turnouts and television ratings to see if
the newer sports can hack it.
OLYMPIC SPORT
IS
BORN
By Timothy Mottram
HOW AN