IOC’s decision to include new sports in 2028 Olympics raises financial and quota concerns
Key Points(5)
- ASOIF members collectively received $540 million in IOC-allocated funding at each of the past two Olympics.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Most Olympic sports received between $13 million and $17.3 million from the Tokyo Games in 2021, which were delayed due to the pandemic.
- For some sports, this funding accounted for approximately half of their total income over a four-year period.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The addition of four team sports in 2028 is expected to exceed the IOC's preferred limit of 10,500 athletes at a Summer Games.
- This is likely to lead to pressure on core Olympic sports to reduce their athlete quotas or even the number of medal events.
- Moscow and Yekaterinburg are scheduled to host these games in September.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Russian Olympic Committee remains suspended by the IOC.
- However, individual athletes may still be invited to compete as neutral athletes in international events if they meet certain criteria, such as not publicly supporting the conflict in Ukraine and having no ties to military or state security agencies.
Representatives of Olympic sports organizations are calling for urgent discussions with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding potential reductions in their revenue shares and medal events at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
This concern arises from the recent addition of cricket and other new sports to the Olympic program.
In a decision made last month, the IOC approved the inclusion of cricket, baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse, and squash for the 2028 Olympics while retaining boxing, modern pentathlon, and weightlifting, which had previously faced uncertain statuses.
ASOIF expressed reservations about the expansion of the sports program.
The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), an umbrella group representing current Summer Games sports, expressed reservations about the expansion of the sports program. ASOIF members collectively received $540 million in IOC-allocated funding at each of the past two Olympics.
Most Olympic sports received between $13 million and $17.3 million from the Tokyo Games in 2021, which were delayed due to the pandemic. For some sports, this funding accounted for approximately half of their total income over a four-year period.
The addition of four team sports in 2028 is expected to exceed the IOC's preferred limit of 10,500 athletes at a Summer Games. This is likely to lead to pressure on core Olympic sports to reduce their athlete quotas or even the number of medal events. The IOC aims to finalize the quotas by early 2025.
Following a meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, ASOIF's ruling council announced its intention "to raise these urgent matters with the IOC leadership." The council includes presidents from top-tier Olympic sports such as World Athletics, the International Gymnastics Federation, and World Aquatics.
IOC's total revenue of $7.6 billion generated between 2017 and 2021
Track and field received $38.5 million in funding after the Tokyo Games, while gymnastics and swimming each received approximately $31.4 million from the IOC's total revenue of $7.6 billion generated from broadcasters and sponsors between 2017 and 2021. The addition of cricket is expected to significantly boost the IOC's broadcast deal in India, potentially by at least $100 million.
Key issues of concern for Olympic sports include "revenue sharing, athlete quotas, Olympic qualification systems, and games optimization," as highlighted by ASOIF president Francesco Ricci Bitti. "Optimization" refers to the ongoing efforts to streamline costs and services to enable organizers to manage expenditures effectively.
ASOIF also cautioned its members about potential involvement in Russia's planned World Friendship Games, set to take place shortly after the 2024 Paris Olympics. Moscow and Yekaterinburg are scheduled to host these games in September.
The Russian Olympic Committee remains suspended by the IOC. However, individual athletes may still be invited to compete as neutral athletes in international events if they meet certain criteria, such as not publicly supporting the conflict in Ukraine and having no ties to military or state security agencies. The participation of athletes in such events has raised concerns within the sports community.
