CP21942789
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and IOC President Jaques Rogge press a symbolic button to mark a 1 year to the start of 2014 Winter Olympics, in Sochi, Russia, on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

IOC set to remove 1 sport from Olympic program; modern pentathlon appears most at risk

LONDON – Removing a sport from the Olympics is one of the IOC’s most delicate and sensitive tasks. After months of evaluation, a decision will come next week — and the century-old competition of modern pentathlon appears the most at risk.

The IOC executive board will meet in Lausanne, Switzerland, and announce Tuesday which of the current 26 sports on the Olympic program will be dropped for the 2020 Games.

The IOC will decide later this year which sport to bring in as a replacement.

The last sports axed from the Olympics were baseball and softball, off the program since the 2008 Beijing Games. Baseball and softball have now combined forces and are among seven sports competing for inclusion in 2020, along with karate, roller sports, squash, sport climbing, wakeboarding and wushu.

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.

Leave a Reply

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles