Issue date
Holding both a men's and women's kiteboarding (formula kite) competition has been chosen by the World Sailing council as their preferred option if the IOC reject the mixed offshore keelboat event for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
World Sailing were asked by the International Olympic Committee to review the two-person mixed offshore keelboat event as the option put forward to replace the Finn for the Paris Olympics. The IOC raised concerns relating to field of play security, scope and complexity, broadcast cost and complexity of the event and the fact an two-person mixed offshore world championships had not been staged.
They gave World Sailing until May 26 to propose two alternative events and are due to confirm the sailing programme for the 2024 Olympics on June 8.
World Sailing received 23 submissions as alternatives to the mixed offshore event and narrowed it down to two options for the council to consider: splitting both the mixed kiteboarding and mixed 470 presently on the 2024 programme into standalone men's and women's competitions.
The sailing programme for the Paris Olympics is due to stage 10 events based on gender and event equity. The mixed offshore event was put forward to the IOC as an alternative to the Finn, which will be dropped after this year's Tokyo Olympics, and it was proposed the men's and women's 470 would become a mixed 470 to accommodate a mixed kiteboarding event.
Yachting New Zealand, together with Sailing Australia, originally supported retaining the Finn and introducing a lightweight women's dinghy in a combined event for the 10th medal when the review process started a couple of years ago. The World Sailing council, however, opted instead for the mixed offshore event.
The World Sailing council met on Friday night (NZ time) to conclude the 2021 mid-year meeting and voted on the alternative options to present to the IOC.
The mixed offshore event remains World Sailing's preferred option but if this is not approved by the IOC then council voted to put forward splitting the mixed event into men's and women's kiteboarding as the first alternative and men's and women's 470 as the second alternative.
"The process to select alternative events for Paris 2024 has not been easy," World Sailing president Quanhai Li said. "We have all had to act at pace within a very small window. It has been heart-warming to see the World Sailing community come together and make some very important decisions for the common good of our sport.
"Decisions have been made and now is the time for the entire sailing community to show unity and solidarity. We remain committed to showcasing the mixed offshore event at Paris 2024 but we will now report back to the IOC with our first and second alternative events."
You can find more about the World Sailing council decision here.
- Pic: Justina Kitchen is aiming to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Photo: IKA / Oliver Hartis.
