Two new Olympic sports elected despite controversy

With the majority of favorable votes, the IOC members voted to support the request of the Executive Board to include the two sports.

IOC member Richard W. Pound said that he has attempted to get an idea of what is the strategic plan and principles in regards of how the IOC governs the choice of Olympic sports, but stressed still not to have received it.

“We don’t know why the Executive Board selected two of the sports, and we don’t know why they have eliminated five other sports,” said Pound who found that the task of the IOC Session to examine the program and decide if sports should be continued to take part in the Olympic Games had been misunderstood.

“The Session has not been allowed to consider other sports,” said Pound concluding that: “The IOC Session asked for guidance, not a suggestion to ‘take it or leave it’.”

Referring to the role of the Executive Board in connection to the IOC Session on the subject of new sports, Pound said: “I think you have misinterpreted.”

Pound continued that it is the Session, which has the responsibility to decide the sports.

Pointing to lack of transparency, Pound said: “We do not know how you decided what you decided.”

Anita DeFrantz supplied the criticism from Mr. Pound saying that she too had expected advise from the Executive Board, not a decision.

During the discussion, however, other IOC members primarily supported the Executive Board in going forward with the election in which both sports ran together. Several members said that the process had been satisfactory and that they, with the words of Mr. Gospar: “We should give full support to the Executive Board.”