Disciplines such as cross-country running, trail running, cyclo-cross and gravel cycling have all been mooted as possible ‘crossover’ contenders for inclusion in the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps.
“We will vote on the programme in June, but we have already decided that no summer sport and no all-season sport will be included. It will only be snow and ice,” IOC president Kirsty Coventry told the press.
However, she said such a reform would “potentially lend itself” to Salt Lake City in 2034.
“We should figure out how we want potentially new sports, innovative sports and disciplines to come onto the programme,” she said.
“But we’re also under the very big realisation that we can’t continue to just get bigger, bigger, bigger. That’s not the answer either.”
The head of the 2030 Games, Edgar Grospiron, floated the possibility in December of including outdoor disciplines with no snow or ice and with low organisational costs, to better exploit the potential of the French Alps.
“Between 1,000m and 2,500m in altitude, we have all the snow, all the resorts,” he said.
“But between zero and 1,000m, there’s nothing, even though it’s an incredible playground.
“And that’s where we’re thinking about outdoor sports: trail running, cyclocross, gravel… It would really be a shame not to show that side of things.” (AFP)
