IOC introduces new events for London 2012 11/12/2009 |
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The International Olympic Commission has announced that mixed doubles tennis and new track cycling events will be added to the Olympic programme for 2012.
The changes are designed to refresh the schedule and increase the number of women competing at the Games.
The reintroduction of mixed doubles tennis, which has been absent from the Olympics since 1924, will “to provide another opportunity for men and women to compete together on the same field of play”. The Olympic tournament will be made up of 16 teams competing in an elimination event.
International Tennis Federation president Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “The ITF is very happy and grateful that the IOC executive board has decided to add mixed doubles to the programme for the Olympic tennis event for London 2012 and beyond. We believe that this addition will make Olympic tennis a truly unique event.”
Meanwhile, in cycling, men and women will have the same five events: the sprint, team sprint, keirin, the new multi-event omnium and team pursuit.
The omnium is a multi-discipline event made up of five separate races: a 200-metre flying start time trial, a 5-kilometre scratch race, a 3km individual pursuit, a 15km points race and a 1km time trial.
The exclusion of the popular individual pursuit has angered some cyclists and fans but IOC president Jacques Rogge said: “We have followed the advice of the UCI [International Cycling Federation]. They are adamant the new programme is an improvement for cycling.
“There is a shift from endurance events [like individual pursuit] to sprint events. It is the advice of UCI that the new format will appeal to a younger audience.”
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