Page 16

On 9 June, the IOC Executive Board (EB) approved the event programme for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The decision marked a key milestone in the evolution of the Olympic programme by introducing youthful and urban innovations, significantly improving gender equality, and reducing the overall number of athletes and thereby also the Games’ footprint.Commenting on the decision, IOC President Thomas Bach said: “The fascinating new events that we approved today, together with the five new sports that were added to the Tokyo 2020 programme last year, represent a step-change in the Olympic programme. I am delighted that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will be more youthful, more urban and will include more women.”The EB decision will lead to a net increase of 15 events, an overall reduction of 285 athletes from Rio 2016, and the highest representation of female athletes in Olympic history. In Tokyo, the number of mixed events will double from nine at Rio 2016 to 18. All new events will make use of existing venues.The decision is a significant step towards achieving the 50 per cent gender balance at the Olympic Games both in terms of athlete numbers and events, as called for by Olympic Agenda 2020. Four International Federations (IFs) – canoe, rowing, shooting and weightlifting – will have a gender balance in their events for the first time, while six IFs – canoe, judo, rowing, sailing, shooting and weightlifting – will have a gender balance among athletes for the first time. At discipline level, gender balance will be achieved in BMX racing, mountain bike and freestyle wrestling. The programme also includes youth-focused and urban additions such as basketball 3x3 and BMX freestyle, in addition to sport climbing and skateboarding.Above Basketball 3x3 will make its full Olympic debut in TokyoTOKYO 2020 TO BOOST GENDER EQUALITY, YOUTH AND URBAN APPEALOn 23 June, the IOC called upon the Olympic Movement at large – including NOCs, IFs, National Federations, Organising Committees, National Olympians Associations and Young Change-Makers – to promote a healthy and active lifestyle and celebrate the birth of the modern Olympic Games. From Albania to Gambia, Canada to Sri Lanka, more than 100 NOCs across all five continents heeded the IOC’s call to action. Collectively, they inspired close to six million people across the globe to get moving by staging educational, cultural and sporting activities in their territories and encouraging their communities to spread the Olympic values.On social media, the #OlympicDay hashtag proved popular as international stars such as Chris Froome and Yuna Kim voiced their support, while in the Olympic capital, organisers of the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020 mobilised 1,200 pupils from schools across the city to create a flashmob in the shape of the Olympic rings.MILLIONS GET ACTIVE ON OLYMPIC DAYBelow An Olympic Day activity in Buenos Aires (Argentina)16 OLYMPIC REVIEW