15 New Medal Events Confirmed for Tokyo 2020
The event program for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games has been finalised with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirming 15 new medal events on top of the five sport additions announced late last year.
The IOC had previously confirmed five sports to integrate into the program roster for 2020, with Baseball/Softball marking its return to Olympic competition for the first time since 2008, whilst four new International Sporting Federations were approved across; Surf, Sport Climbing, Skateboard and Karate.
The IOC has now confirmed the addition of 15 new medal events for Tokyo in a move that IOC President, Thomas Bach has described as step towards greater balance and inclusion.
“The fascinating new events that we approved today, together with the five new sports that were added to the Tokyo 2020 program last year, represent a step-change in the Olympic program. I am delighted that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will be more youthful, more urban and will include more women,” Bach said.
The 15 events represent a range of new and exciting disciplines, highlighted by the emergence of mixed relays in Swimming, Athletics and Triathlon, whilst from a Western Australian perspective, the reintroduction of Madison in the velodrome will be a boon for eight time world champion Cameron Meyer.
New Events for Tokyo 2020:
- Aquatics: (Swimming): 800m (men) 1500m (women) 4x100m Medley Mixed Relay
- Archery: Mixed Team Event
- Athletics: 4x400m Mixed Relay
- Basketball: 3×3 (men and women)
- Cycling: (BMX) BMX Freestyle Park (men and women)
- Cycling: (Track) Madison (men and women)
- Fencing: Team Events (men and women)
- Judo: Mixed Team Event
- Table Tennis: Mixed Doubles
- Triathlon: Mixed Team Events
The changes will take the Olympic events program closer to parity on gender lines than ever before, with Tokyo to have 48.8% of medals available to women, up from 44.2% in London and 45.6% last year in Rio.