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In June, the IOC Executive Board (EB) agreed on the event programme and athlete quotas for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.The following events were added to the 2018 Olympic programme: curling mixed doubles; speed skating mass start; Alpine skiing nations team event; and snowboard big air.The changes reflect the continued evolution of the Olympic Winter programme and build on the success of recent editions of the Games. They also build on the reforms outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020, which aim to create more flexibility in the Olympic Games programme.In agreement with the International Ski Federation (FIS), the EB decided to remove snowboard parallel slalom from the programme to make room for snowboard big air.The new programme will allow for a record number of women’s events, a record number of mixed events, a record number of women athletes, and a projected increase in overall female participation rates at the Olympic Winter Games, reflecting the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020.In July, an IOC delegation led by the Chair of the IOC’s Coordination Commission, Gunilla Lindberg, also completed its fifth Project Review visit to PyeongChang. During the two-day visit, the group had a full programme comprising working meetings – where they were briefed on areas of Games preparations including venues, governance, workforce, marketing and technology – and venue visits.In July, the IOC Coordination Commission for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 completed its second official visit to the Japanese capital. Among the highlights of its visit, the Commission noted the Organising Committee’s adherence to key milestones, strong government support and its embracing of Olympic Agenda 2020. Led by Commission Chair John Coates, the Commission noted the excellent work done by the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee in integrating Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms into its venue master plan and other aspects of preparations. In June, the IOC’s Executive Board (EB) confirmed the venue locations for eight of the sports on the Tokyo 2020 Games programme – aquatics, badminton, fencing, rugby sevens, sailing, taekwondo, triathlon and wrestling. This was the second major step in the venue master plan review undertaken by the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and followed the recommendations of the IOC’s Evaluation Commission and the unanimous approval by IOC Members of Olympic Agenda 2020. The venue proposals were developed by Tokyo 2020 in close collaboration with the relevant International Federations (IFs) and in line with Tokyo 2020’s Games vision.NEWS IN BRIEFCreative Director announced for PyeongChang CeremoniesOn 2 July, the PyeongChang Organising Committee for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games (POCOG) announced that Song Seung-whan has been selected as Executive Creative Director for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of PyeongChang 2018. Rio 2016 unveils Olympic torchThe Organising Committee for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro has presented the torch that will carry the Olympic flame through Brazil next year. The innovative design features movable segments that expand vertically to reveal the colours of Brazil. The torch will be lit in the Greek city of Olympia on 21 April 2016. On 3 May, the torch relay will officially start in the capital city of Brazil, Brasilia, embarking on a 95-day tour around the country. Above Snowboard big air will feature at PyeongChang 2018Below The IOC Coordination Commission in TokyoOLYMPIC REVIEW 17