Sevens sails through vote but golf was made to sweat

From Steven Downes in Berlin

TIGER Woods and Danny Cipriani could become Olympic athletes in seven years' time, while women's boxing will definitely make its Games debut at London in 2012, following decisions by the International Olympic Committee's Executive Board in Berlin.

FUTURE OLYMPIANS? Tiger Woods and Danny Cipriani moved a step closer to making Olympic appearances today 

The IOC's ruling Executive Board decided, as widely forecast, to shortlist golf and rugby sevens from among seven sports applying to re-join the Olympic Games - both sports were contested at the Games in the early years of the last century. Today's rejected sports were softball and baseball, which both were dropped after the 2008 Beijing Games, karate, squash and roller sports.

The final decision on whether golf and rugby sevens will be added to the programme will be taken by the 114-strong voting membership of the IOC in Copenhagen on October 9, when a simple majority will secure Olympic status for either.

"The two sports we have proposed are not Olympic sports until validated by the IOC Session," Jacques Rogge, the IOC President, said in announcing the decision. "The Olympic Charter is extremely clear, and the Session cannot vote on the other five."

The EB also decided on how the Session will vote on rugby sevens and golf in Copenhagen, with separate ballots on each sport's acceptance "so that one does not influence the other", Rogge said.

That move has been warmly welcomed by the sports. "It means we stand or fall on our own strengths," a senior official said.

According to the voting numbers, rugby sevens won through with an absolute majority after two rounds of voting among the EB's 14 members. It took four more ballots of a complicated second preference voting system for golf to attract sufficient support - nine votes - to see off karate and softball.

Peter Dawson, of the Royal & Ancient, expressed cautious optimism about golf's prospects before the IOC members.

"It is a historic moment for golf. Golf has a lot to offer the Olympic Movement, but it is the biggest grow-the-game opportunity we've had," he said.

"We are very pleased that we have been able to put golf's case very strongly, and we hope for a positive vote in two months' time," Dawson said. "We're not counting our chickens, but obviously it's a major step."

Bernard Lapassat, chairman of the International Rugby Board, also expressed his satisfaction at today's decision.

"We are very pleased to be there for the next step to present our bid for our sportsmen and sportswomen," he added.

Golf was last a part of the Olympics in 1904, when Canada's George Lyon won gold, while rugby, as a 15-man game, was last contested at the 1924 Games in Paris - the United States winning gold.

Rugby's re-introduction to the Olympics would this time see 144 women competing in a two-day tournament, while golf would have a 40-strong women's competition, as the IOC made major moves towards gender equality with the addition of women's boxing from 2012.

Boxing had been the only all-male sport at the 2008 Beijing Games. By adding 40 women boxers in three weight categories in London (where there will be one fewer men's weight category), Rogge spoke of how the Games would be "quota neutral" in terms of not increasing the number of competitors beyond the 10,000 maximum.

"I can only rejoice about the inclusion of women's boxing," Rogge said. "It is a great addition. The sport of women's boxing has made a great deal of progress."

Rogge said that the majority of more than 50 changes to existing Olympic sports proposed by international federations were "politely refused" because almost all involved increasing the numbers of competitors.

Thus swimming and cycling, which both proposed new events such as 50-metre sprints and BMX freestyle respectively, have been told to decide which events they want to drop from the 2012 programme in order to accommodate new events.

Mixed doubles tennis is still under consideration to be played at Wimbledon as part of the 2012 London Games, while modern pentathlon's new run-shoot-run format, on trial at Crystal Palace this weekend, has been approved, as has 200-metre sprint canoe races, replacing the previous 500-metre events.

The Copenhagen IOC Session will also decide where the 2016 Games will be staged, choosing from bids by Chicago, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid.