Published: August 14, 2009
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board has announced its recommendation of golf and rugby for inclusion in the 2016 Games following a meeting in Berlin, Germany. The IOC executive board selected golf and rugby from a list of seven proposed sports; baseball, softball, squash, karate and roller sports failed to make the cut.
The IOC’s final vote on whether to add the two sports will take place on Oct. 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 that included formal presentations, the submission of a detailed questionnaire and responses to questions raised by both the Olympic Programme Commission and the IOC Executive Board.
Golf was last part of the Olympic Games in 1904, when the United States and Canada were the only competing nations. In its bid for the sport to be instated in the 2016 Olympic Games, the International Golf Federation (IGF) highlighted unprecedented support from international golf organizations and players. Annika Sorenstam served as a Global Ambassador and appeared at the final presentation to the IOC Executive Board in June in Lausanne, Switzerland.
For Olympic Games competition, the IGF has proposed a format of 72-hole individual stroke play for both men and women, as the fairest and best way to identify a champion, mirroring the format used in golf's major championships. In case of a tie for either first, second or third place, a three-hole playoff is recommended to determine the medal winner(s).
The IGF has recommended an Olympic field of 60 players for each of the men's and women's competition, utilizing the official world golf rankings as a method of determining eligibility. The top 15 world-ranked players would be eligible for the Olympic Games, regardless of the number of players from a given country. Beyond the top 15, players would be eligible based on world ranking, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top 15.
“The skill, endurance and physical aptitude that golf requires is often overlooked, which is why I’m thrilled that the International Olympic Committee has recognized the sport as a contender for the 2016 Olympic program,” said Christie Kerr, an LPGA Tour professional. “I am optimistic that the October decision will bring positive news thereby providing golf with an international spotlight and encouraging the recognition it deserves.”
Rugby was last played at the 1924 Olympic Games in the full 15-a-side format. It proposes to return in the short-format seven-a-side version, known as rugby sevens, for both men and women. Rugby sevens is growing in popularity, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, and it has well-established professional tournaments around the world.
Bernard Lapasset, president of the International Rugby Board, said, “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.”
Meanwhile, women's boxers will take to the Olympic ring for the first time in 2012. Female boxers will compete in three weight classes, with 12 competitors each in flyweight, lightweight and middleweight. To make room for the 36 new amateur female boxers, one of the 11 men's classes will be dropped. The IOC has a limit of 286 boxers in the Olympic Games, so only 250 men will be allowed to compete in London. Still, the men will fight for 10 medals while the women compete for three.
"There are still major disparities in the number of medals women can win compared to men, but this is a step in the right direction," British Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said.