SURFING AT THE 2020
TOKYO OLYMPICS
T
here’s two minutes remaining in surfing’s
Olympics would be a dream come true for our sport.
gold medal heat at the 2020 Tokyo
We have been striving for many years to achieve
Olympics, an Aussie athlete needs only a
Olympic Games inclusion and we certainly believe the
single scoring ride to win in front of forty
Olympics will be better off with our sport’s inclusion.
thousand spectators and hundreds of millions of TV
Australia will most certainly be a genuine Gold medal
viewers across the globe.
prospect and we look forward to starting the journey
After the International Surfing Association (ISA)
submitted a formal bid in June this year, it has been
announced surfing has made the final shortlist for
inclusion at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
As one of Australia’s unofficial national sports,
towards Olympic glory in 2020. This is a fantastic
progression for surfing and for the Olympics.”
Surfing Australia Chair and seven times World
Champion Layne Beachley said the sport would benefit
immensely if selected as a new Olympic sport.
surfing will be competing with baseball/softball, karate,
"Inclusion into 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games is a
skateboarding and sports climbing before a final decision
remarkable opportunity for surfing to be showcased
is made at the 129th IOC Session in Rio in August 2016.
in the international arena of sport. This reinforces the
Olympic Committee Panel chair Fujio Mitarai said
importance of Surfing Australia's High Performance
sports popular with the younger demographic such as
Centre and our developmental pathways to ensure
surfing would be popular.
continued nurturing and future success of our athletes.
“One thing I can say is that they're popular among
young people. Many are engaged in them globally.”
Surfing Australia CEO Andrew Stark spoke of the
many positives of the sport’s potential inclusion.
We are absolutely thrilled to be considered for inclusion
and will do everything in our power to work with the
AOC and the IOC to ensure this is a truly successful
collaboration. There is no doubt we have the talent
“Surfing Australia is ecstatic at the news of our
and membership to deserve this recognition, all that is
confirmed nomination for Olympic inclusion at the
missing is the opportunity so this announcement is one
2020 Japan Olympic Games. Surfing’s inclusion into the
step closer to achieving our long term vision."
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| ISSUE 13 SPRING 2015
.COM