Yes, this seems like a complete dodge. If skateboarding is a 'discipline' of a cycling then the addition doesn't require modification of the Olympic Charter or approval of the IOC members -- it can be accepted by the Executive alone. I don't think this will help the IOC's credibility at all. To me, they are as different as speed skating and figure skating. Speed skating and figure skating are, in fact, the same "sport" in this sense -- they are both governed by the ISU. What does it take to be an IOC recognized federation? The General Association of Recognized Sports Federations. The IASC is not a member. There are requirements on the number of member national federations, participation in World Championships, and the like. In general the IOC will not recognize more than one federation for the same sport, although there are exceptions.
The General Association of Recognized Sports Federations. The IASC is not a member. There are requirements on the number of member national federations, participation in World Championships, and the like. Skateboarding does have World Championships, so I guess they are part of the way there. If I understand it correctly, (thanks Amateur) every country would need to have it's own federation/association of skateboarding and all of those would have to be a part of a bigger federation that oversees them all? O.k, sure just going in under the ICU can get skateboarding into the Olympics rather quickly, but I would rather see it get there under it's own power. Skateboarding has it's own disciplines such as street, park, vert, and big air. If cycling has to remove some of it's own events to allow for these, then I see a potentially big problem, a conflict of interest so to speak.
Skateboarding has it's own disciplines such as street, park, vert, and big air. If cycling has to remove some of it's own events to allow for these, then I see a potentially big problem, a conflict of interest so to speak. Jacques Rogge has held to a pretty firm line that if something gets added, something's gonna get dropped, which makes it long odds of a whole new sport being added, and an uphill sled to even add a discipline or event without dropping another one.
The UCI might have enough sway to add skateboarding as a new medal event without dropping an existing event ... FINA has successfully done it with Open Water swimming, for example. However, as noted at the outset the UCI did have to drop a couple of track events (the wrong ones, IMO) to add BMX. So probably this would mean the subtraction of something else from the cycling program.
when is the next olympics event and where????
