parkour-olympic-games

The International Olympic Committee is meeting Monday to finalize the program for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. No new sports are expected to be added, beyond a few that were already chosen, like break dancing. But individual federations already in the Games may seek to add events to their lineups. That gives the gymnastics federation a chance to ask to include parkour events, and leaves the parkour federation out of the decision making process.

“Parkour has been recognized as a sovereign, distinct, and independent sport in its own right, and as such cannot be considered a discipline of, or subsidiary to, gymnastics or any other sport,” the parkour federation, Parkour Earth, said in a letter to the I.O.C. on Tuesday. “F.I.G.’s encroachment and misappropriation of our sport continues.”

The federation’s letter to the Olympic committee is rife with phrases like “due diligence,” “formally petition,” and “recognized international norms,” the legalese seeming to stand in contrast to the anything-goes spirit of men and women jumping from roof to roof.

Their dispute was reminiscent of a conflict over stand-up paddleboarding in 2017. Each of the canoeing and surfing federations said they were the rightful steward of the sport going forward. Eventually, surfing won.

The Tokyo Summer Games, now scheduled for 2021, are planning to add five new sports, although they have been approved for that Games only: baseball and softball (which the I.O.C. counts together), karate, sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/sports/olympics/parkour-olympic-games.html