The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has selected golf and rugby sevens for proposed inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games, rejecting bids from baseball, karate, roller sports, softball and squash. The IOC’s final vote will take place on October 9 at the 121st IOC session in Copenhagen, Denmark. While the membership of the IOC is not obliged to follow the executive board’s recommendation, the board’s decision is based on an extensive review process of the seven candidate sports which has included formal presentations, the submission of a detailed questionnaire and responses to questions raised by both the IOC programme commission and the IOC executive board.
"We’re obviously thrilled the IOC executive board has recommended that golf should be added to the 2016 Olympic Programme," said Ty Votaw, Executive Director of the International Golf Federation’s (IGF) Olympic Golf Committee, which has been co-ordinating the Olympic bid. "We believe we have presented a compelling case as to why golf should be added and we look forward to the IOC’s final vote in October."
Golf was last part of the Olympic Games in 1904, when the United States and Canada were the only competing nations. Throughout the process, the IGF has stressed the unprecedented unified support by international golf organisations, including a commitment by those who conduct Major Championships to adjust their summer schedules to ensure their respective tournaments will not conflict or compete with the Olympic golf competition, as well as the resounding support of golf’s top-ranked male and female players.
Rugby was originally introduced to the Olympic Games by Pierre de Coubertin in 1900 and continued to be played at the 1908, 1920 and 1924 Games. The International Rugby Board (IRB) failed to win enough support for inclusion when the IOC last voted in 2005 because it had not done enough to promote the women’s game. That has now been addressed and earlier this year the IRB staged the first ever women’s Sevens Rugby World Cup tournament parallel to the men’s event in Dubai. The IRB intends to stop the Sevens World Cup if rugby is included in the Olympics to ensure there is just one showpiece tournament in the sport’s calendar. The IRB believes rugby would tap into the Olympic movement’s attempts to appeal to a younger demographic in attracting new sponsors and supporters to the Games. Rugby is played in 116 countries and already forms a major part of other multi-sport events such as the Commonwealth Games and the World Games.
Bernard Lapasset, President of the IRB, said: "We would like to thank the IOC Executive Board for selecting Rugby Sevens from what are seven strong and diverse sports. We recognise the significance of this milestone in our campaign but are also mindful that the ultimate decision rests with the IOC members when they meet in Copenhagen on October 9, 2009. The Olympic Games would be the pinnacle of the sport for all our athletes and the rugby family, providing the opportunity for the best men’s and women’s players in the world to showcase their talent on the world’s greatest sporting stage. The international rugby community is united behind rugby sevens’ campaign and we now look ahead to October."
IOC President Jacques Rogge, who elected not to take part in the vote, said: "All seven sports made a strong case for inclusion, and the EB carefully evaluated them in a transparent and fair process. In the end, the decision came down to which two would add the most value. Golf and rugby will be a great addition to the Games." The IOC revealed that the key factors in determining a sport’s suitability for the Olympic programme included youth appeal, universality, popularity, good governance, respect for athletes and respect for the Olympic values. "Golf and rugby scored high on all the criteria," Rogge added. "They have global appeal, a geographically diverse line-up of top iconic athletes and an ethic that stresses fair play."
