~Alan~
Likes Dirt
The Switzerland-based Union Cycliste Internationale (USI) and some other influential sports power players have upped their efforts to get skateboarding along with BMX freestyle added to the 2016 Olympic Games. The motive behind such a bid is to make the Olympics relevant to the younger generation and attract both young viewers and fans of action sports.
UCI president Pat McQuaid told a leading sports channel that they are discussing bringing in BMX freestyle and even skateboarding to Rio 2016. He further said that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is aware of the fact that they need to introduce events in the Olympic programme that get kids move involved into sport. McQuaid admitted that the discussion is still at an early stage and there is still a lot to consider. However the response of IOC president Jacques Rogge and others has been very positive till now and is definitely a sign of encouragement.
Even though UCI is a world governing body for cycling, it is still making a lot of effort to get skateboarding introduced to the 2016 Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. It feels that it is in the best position to negotiate skateboarding’s inclusion in the future Olympics along with BMX freestyle.
"They're all related to wheels, they're all related to bikes as such, and from that point of view cycling is the sport that can bring those disciplines in," explained McQuaid.
Having UCI’s support has unarguably increased skateboarding’s chances at getting featured at the Rio 2016 as it is one of Olympic sport’s most powerful governing body. It also has close ties to the IOC as its former president, Hein Verbruggen, is a senior member of the IOC now.
This is not the first time that UCI is advocating for skateboarding’s place in the Olympics. The organisation attempted to get it a place in the 2012 Olympics in London. However, the organisation was dominated by members of the traditional cycling disciplines so the skateboard proposal failed to get sufficient support. Some of the major skateboarders also showed reluctance to participate in the Olympics. The deal eventually fell through in 2007.
“The challenge at the time was the necessity to create a structure within the skateboarding community,” said Sandrine Tonge, a spokesman for the International Olympic Committee. “There was, back then, no recognized national entities or World Championships.”
A limit of 28 sports has been set for 2016 Games by IOC so Skateboarding and BMX freestyle will find themselves competing against several other sports for the last two available slots. They are up against golf, ruby, squash, karate, baseball and softball.
An introduction of new Olympic discipline normally eliminates another discipline. However the UCI is hopeful that the introduction of skateboarding will not push out any other event from its Olympic schedule.
UCI president Pat McQuaid told a leading sports channel that they are discussing bringing in BMX freestyle and even skateboarding to Rio 2016. He further said that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is aware of the fact that they need to introduce events in the Olympic programme that get kids move involved into sport. McQuaid admitted that the discussion is still at an early stage and there is still a lot to consider. However the response of IOC president Jacques Rogge and others has been very positive till now and is definitely a sign of encouragement.
Even though UCI is a world governing body for cycling, it is still making a lot of effort to get skateboarding introduced to the 2016 Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. It feels that it is in the best position to negotiate skateboarding’s inclusion in the future Olympics along with BMX freestyle.
"They're all related to wheels, they're all related to bikes as such, and from that point of view cycling is the sport that can bring those disciplines in," explained McQuaid.
Having UCI’s support has unarguably increased skateboarding’s chances at getting featured at the Rio 2016 as it is one of Olympic sport’s most powerful governing body. It also has close ties to the IOC as its former president, Hein Verbruggen, is a senior member of the IOC now.
This is not the first time that UCI is advocating for skateboarding’s place in the Olympics. The organisation attempted to get it a place in the 2012 Olympics in London. However, the organisation was dominated by members of the traditional cycling disciplines so the skateboard proposal failed to get sufficient support. Some of the major skateboarders also showed reluctance to participate in the Olympics. The deal eventually fell through in 2007.
“The challenge at the time was the necessity to create a structure within the skateboarding community,” said Sandrine Tonge, a spokesman for the International Olympic Committee. “There was, back then, no recognized national entities or World Championships.”
A limit of 28 sports has been set for 2016 Games by IOC so Skateboarding and BMX freestyle will find themselves competing against several other sports for the last two available slots. They are up against golf, ruby, squash, karate, baseball and softball.
An introduction of new Olympic discipline normally eliminates another discipline. However the UCI is hopeful that the introduction of skateboarding will not push out any other event from its Olympic schedule.