The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Kirsty Coventry, informed sports leaders in Lausanne, Switzerland, that sports and medal events removed from the 2032 Brisbane Olympics program could potentially make a comeback in future Summer Games. Coventry’s message, delivered at the annual meeting of Summer Games sports bodies, followed her previous caution in February about the need for discussions to enhance the efficiency of future Olympic hosting.
Within the next few months, the IOC aims to finalize the list of sports included in the Brisbane program, which Coventry indicated would be fewer than the 36 sports featured at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Coventry emphasized to The Associated Press that there is a possibility for these excluded sports to return in the future, offering reassurance to the sports community.
Brisbane may also have fewer than the 353 medal events held in Los Angeles, a detail that Coventry acknowledged might not please everyone but stressed that the objective is not to eliminate any sport. During her discussions with ASOIF members, Coventry highlighted the importance of managing costs for hosts by considering the number of venues required for events.
The upcoming full IOC membership meeting on June 24 in Lausanne will play a crucial role in establishing a process for evaluating sports and events, a key step towards streamlining the Olympic program for Brisbane and beyond. The confirmation of sports to be featured in Brisbane is expected in September, with further details on the medal events program to follow.
Certain sports face potential risks, with modern pentathlon at risk of losing its Olympic status and newer sports like flag football, lacrosse, and squash, added to the LA program, vying for inclusion in Brisbane before their prominent showcase in 2028. Additionally, the decision on the host for the 2036 Olympics has been postponed by Coventry, with Qatar emerging as a strong contender for a bid likely to involve multiple locations in the Middle East region.