IOC President takes YOG as laboratory for new sports

LAUSANNE - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said on Friday that Wushu's introduction as an official sport demonstrates the Youth Olympic Games's role as a laboratory for new sports.

"It's another signifiant demonstration for the fact that we are using the Youth Olympic Games as a laboratory for new sports or disciplines," Bach told a press conference following the 135th IOC Session.

Wushu is set to debut as an official sport at the 2022 Dakar Youth Olympic Games after having got the nod from the IOC executive board on Wednesday.

"We already had Wushu as a kind of demonstration sport in previous editions of the Youth olympics, and on the occasion of the Olympic Games in Beijing where it was a part of cultural exhibitions.

"We could see it was well appreciated by the public. We could also realize the International (Wushu) Federation has expanded significantly and very quickly in the last couple of years, now having more than 150 member federations, which put them pretty high on the list of International Federations," said Bach.

"When the recommendation of the organizing committee of Dakar came to the IOC executive board, this recommendation was falling on a further ground. Therefore, we approved of Wushu as a medal sport together with baseball5," he added.

Bach also expressed confidence in the future of the Games for youngsters.

"As for the Youth Olympic Games, what's the most important is the experience of these young athletes. This is what the Youth Olympic Games count for them," he said. "They will get familiar with the Olympic environment and values with a mighty sports event. This is the priority."

According to Bach, from what he has heard from the figures from Thursday night's opening ceremony, "maybe this Winter Youth Olympic Games get more international attention than any other junior event of any other sport."

"We are on a good track. At the end of this Games, I think we can be pretty optimistic," the German pointed out.

The IOC Session also voted to award the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games to Gangwon of South Korea, the first time in the tournament's history to Asia.

Japanese Olympic Committee President Yasuhiro Yamashita, International Tennis Federation President David Haggerty and Federation Internationale de Football Association President Gianni Infantino were elected as new members of the IOC, bringing the total number of IOC members to 101.