Motorsport, cricket and karate are among the nine sports invited by Los Angeles 2028 to present their case for inclusion at the Olympics.
Baseball-softball, lacrosse, breaking, kickboxing, squash and flag football were also granted permission to submit Request for Information proposals for the sport programme review.
Sambo, flying disc and teqball, which have all shown interest in obtaining a place at the 2028 Olympics, are noticeably not on the list.
The nine shortlisted sports are due to make their arguments later this month.
A source has told insidethegames it is too early in the process to tell which motorsport discipline the International Automobile Federation (FIA) will propose for the Olympics, but it is expected to be karting.
Motorsport’s potential inclusion would be a major development for the sport that has long been excluded from the Olympics.
It last appeared at the 1900 Games in Paris where it was not officially part of the Olympic programme, despite medals being awarded.
Motorsport was unable to be considered for the Games due to a significant clause in the Olympic Charter stating that “sports, disciplines or events in which performance depends essentially on mechanical propulsion are not acceptable”.
However, this has been removed and the FIA was recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2012.
As a member of the IOC’s Association of Recognised International Sports Federations, the FIA is part of the Olympic Charter and e-karting later featured at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires as a demonstration event.
There were no medals awarded on this occasion.
For motorsport and the other sports to be successful in securing a place at Los Angeles 28, their presentations are likely to focus on a six-point criteria list which includes supporting environmental stability, upholding integrity and fairness, and recognising both interest in the host country and offering global appeal.
The relevant International Federations have also been told to prioritise a reduction in the cost and complexity of staging the Games, promoting gender equality and engaging the best athletes.
Under the principle of reducing cost and complexity, Los Angeles 2028 has a cap of 10,500 athletes in total.
The limited number of athlete quota places can be particularly tricky for team sports to adhere to.
A total of 28 sports have already been confirmed on the programme, with the International Olympic Committee(IOC) saying there is a “pathway” for boxing, weightlifting and modern pentathlon to join them.
Cricket has not appeared at the Olympics since 1900 – the same year as motorsport.
The International Cricket Council is proposing the T20 format for the Games.
Women’s T20 is currently being contested at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham for the first time.
Men’s baseball and women’s softball returned to the Olympics in 2020 after being absent for London 2012 and Rio 2016.
Baseball and softball are not on the Paris 2024 programme.
Karate made its debut at Tokyo 2020 – but will be absent from Paris – while breaking is due to appear at the Olympics for the first time in 2024.
Lacrosse featured on the Olympic programme at St Louis 1904 and London 1908 and was a demonstration sport at Amsterdam 1928, Los Angeles 1932 and London 1948.
Flag football made its multi-sport event debut at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, last month, though American football was a demonstration event in 1904 and 1932.
Kickboxing and squash have never been part of the Olympics.
Final approval of the additional disciplines the Los Angeles 2028 Organising Committee chooses to include is expected to be made at the IOC Session in Mumbai next year.
The 2028 Olympics are scheduled to begin on July 14 and conclude on July 30, which is the earliest the Games would have opened since the 1924 edition in Paris, which started on July 5.
Credit: insidethegames
