How can a new sport be included in the Olympic Games programme?
Initial sports programme
The sports programme, which includes all sports for a specific edition of the Olympic Games, is determined by the IOC Session from among the sports governed by the International Federations (IFs) recognised by the IOC.
Only sports which comply with the Olympic Charter, the World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competition are eligible to be in the programme.
OCOG proposed sports
With the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020 (adopted in December 2014), the process of establishing the Olympic programme changed to enhance the popularity of the Games while ensuring that the numbers of athletes, and the cost and complexity of the event, remain manageable. As part of this new process the Organising Committee of a specific edition of the Olympic Games may propose to the IOC the inclusion, for such edition only, of one or more additional events from the sports governed by the IOC Recognised IFs.
Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee was the first OCOG able to propose new sports and included five new sports for its edition of the Summer Games - surfing, karate, sports climbing, skateboarding and baseball/softball.