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with and inspire the youth around the world.”But bringing sports back into the fold requires a lot of coordination between the IOC and the IFs to ensure a successful delivery of the Olympic competition and that the opportunity provided by the Games enjoys maximum impact afterwards. “It really is a partnership and we’ve worked very closely with both federations,” explains McConnell. “Both sports had a strong presence in London in 2012 so that they could be part of the learning experiences that those Games provided. We’ve also worked very closely with them in their coordination with the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, helping them to learn about what comes with the organisation of an Olympic competition.”As the countdown to Rio 2016 enters its final year, both sports are looking forward to the experience of being part of the Games and witnessing the reaction of fans in the host city and around the world. “We want everyone to come and see this really exciting and dynamic sport, which is so successful around the world – wherever we take it,” says Egan. “There will be a great athletic exhibition on the field, but also people coming to enjoy themselves. There’s music, there’s entertainment – a bit of something for everybody.”Indeed, the Games as a whole have been providing a bit of something for everybody for almost 120 years, and McConnell is looking forward to what golf and rugby will bring to the party in Rio de Janeiro. “We’re very much looking forward to the added value that they will bring to the Games, but it’s about all 306 events and all 28 sports adding up to something very special and unique,” he says. ■One of the key reforms outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020 is to create more flexibility in the Olympic programme. According to Christophe Dubi, Executive Director of the Olympic Games, this evolution is vital for the Games to continue to be the premier sporting event in the world, while also providing maximum excitement for the widest audience possible.“The main objective for the IOC is to offer the general public a very exciting programme,” he explains. “We have to make sure that the Games remain relevant and cater for all tastes, all audiences and all age groups. Of course, we need to preserve our history – that is very important – but at the same time we have to remain relevant and make sure that we attract new audiences as well.”The increased flexibility was demonstrated recently with the addition of six new events to the programme for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. Curling mixed doubles, the speed skating mass start (men and women), a mixed Alpine skiing team event and snowboard big air (men and women) were all approved for inclusion by the IOC’s Executive Board in June.The new programme will allow for record numbers of women’s events, mixed events and women athletes, as well as a projected increase in overall female participation levels at the Olympic Winter Games, which also reflects the implementation of the Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms.Similarly, another Olympic Agenda 2020 reform – allowing Organising Committees to propose the inclusion of additional events on the Olympic programme for that edition of the Games – is also being implemented. Tokyo 2020 will be the first Games to benefit from the new process. IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell explains: “In regards to Tokyo, if the Organising Committee feels that there is a particular sport or event not currently on the Olympic programme that would add real value to their Games, help them deliver on their vision and create a real connection with the people of Japan – and the youth of Japan in particular – then the opportunity now exists for them to propose those events to the IOC to be brought in for that specific edition of the Games. That flexibility has never existed before, and it allows us to further the engagement between the Games and the local population.”62 OLYMPIC REVIEW