Simplified voting process for the Olympic programme

Simplified voting process for the Olympic programme
The process of the choice of sports to be on the Olympic programme will be simplified in future following a decision taken today by the 119th IOC Session in Guatemala City, upon proposal of the IOC Executive Board (EB). Paragraphs in the Olympic Charter will be changed accordingly.

Most relevant changes
Until today’s change in the regulations, while it took only a simple majority for a sport to be removed from the programme, two-thirds was needed to add a new sport. The new rules simplify the voting procedure by requiring a simple majority for both inclusion and exclusion.

The number of core sports has been increased from 15 to 25 from the Games of 2020 onwards. For the 2016 Games of the Olympiad, the 26 core sports from London 2012 will be proposed. The maximum number of sports included in the programme remains capped at 28. In the future, the Session will cast a bloc vote for 25 core summer sports, proposed by the EB. These 25 core sports will need a simple majority to be included in the Olympic programme. If no majority is reached to vote for the core, additional rounds of votes by the Session, determined by the President, will be implemented. IOC President Jacques Rogge complimented this new system for “providing a better flexibility to change the Olympic programme through the introduction of up to three new sports”.

How this will work for the Olympic Winter Games
Seven core sports will be included in the programme for the Olympic Winter Games. The voting procedure by the Session for these seven winter sports is the same as for the summer sports. Today, the Session applied the bloc vote for the first time and voted for the seven core sports to be on the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, of which Sochi was elected as host city two days ago.

Consultation of stakeholders
Today’s changes come after a long journey of evaluation and consultation, dating back to just after the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Time was taken to ensure thorough consultation with the International Federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), Recognised Federations and the Athletes’ Commission before proposals for change were put first to the IOC Executive Board and then subsequently, today, to the Session.