Surfing officially included at Tokyo Olympics after 20 years of campaigning
August 4, 2016 12:37pm
David Riccio ExclusiveThe Daily Telegraph
AN Olympic gold medal will become the greatest prize in surfing with Australia’s favourite pastime to be officially included as a sport at the Tokyo 2020 games.

In what will be regarded by millions of surfers across the world as the sport’s greatest recognition, News Corp has revealed that after a 20-year campaign to become an Olympic member, the wait is over.

And in a further development, the IOC has added four other new sports to the Olympic movement in Tokyo.

Karate, skateboarding, softball/baseball and rock climbing, are also preparing to be announced as Tokyo’s newest additions.

As part of sweeping reforms initiated in 2014, Olympic hosts can add sports popular in their countries to boost ratings and attract greater sponsorship as well as a younger generation of fans.

Under new rules, Olympic host cities can hand-pick sports they want in the Games to join the existing 28 core sports.


Young Australian surfers Alysse Cooper and Jay Brown could find themselves competing at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
News of surfing’s inclusion in Tokyo will be celebrated by some of the sport’s biggest names who have continued to campaign for its addition despite losing five Olympic bids, including Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro.

Kelly Slater, Gerry Lopez, Mick Fanning, Adriano De Souza, Sally Fitzgibbons and Gabriel Medina have all spoken publicly about the need to include surfing into the Olympics.

“I am already imagining myself putting on my country’s Lycra and fighting for a podium place,” De Souza, Brazil’s former world no1, said.

It also means that Australia’s hottest young surf stars, including 14-year-old Jay Brown from Cronulla and 16-year-old Alysse Cooper, from Queenscliff, can now include the dream of draping the greatest prize in sport around their neck, to winning Pipeline and Bells Beach.

And while Japan is the home of sushi rolls and smiles, it’s also a country with an increasing love-affair with surfing.

Surf spots at Fukishima, Nijima, Miyazaki and Kagoshima, the closest break to Pipeline, are all recognised by the world’s best as popular surf breaks.

“Surfing’s inclusion into the Olympics would be a dream come true for our sport,” Surfing Australia chief executive Andrew Stark said earlier this year.

“We have been striving for many years to achieve Olympic Games inclusion and we certainly believe the Olympics will be better off with our sport’s inclusion.”

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/olympics-2016/surfing-officially-included-at-tokyo-olympics-after-20-years-of-campaigning/news-story/eebaf03cb63333ee7eb133f8e59e4a77

They have been pushing for this for 20yrs ? news to me going back in the day.
So, what do they do when the Olympics are held in a country with NO surf - seriously does surfing need to be part of the Olympics ?
I know, that stupid under water swimming got through - another farce of many others.

One thing is for sure re Tokyo in this case, just as Football competing, only 2 pros should be eligible, the rest should be amateurs.
Golf this one coming, its a joke its the pros, again maybe 1 or 2 for each country but the rest of the team made up of amateurs.

How do I edit. 

They could build the waves.

Top right of your post there in a pencil icon. Click it and an edit option will drop down.

As for surfing included, that is just awesome.

I look at how ridiculous it is to include things like baseball - how they justify that without cricket or surfing or rugby union or even league is not really understandable to me.

Thanks bruv it doesn't appear on my phone so I'm on my laptop.

What you described is why I think the Olympics is a load of bullshit. It's a commercial event that serves no real purpose. I was listening to a commentator who brought up a good point and that was the Olympics needs football but football doesn't need it. Football could create an U23 tournament biannually and it would be successful.