Off the wire
• EU steps up corporate tax probe in 15 member states  • 1st LD Writehru: G7 reaffirms commitment to fill gap of financial support to address climate change  • 2nd LD Writehru: G7 expresses concerns over Ukraine, pressing for implementation of ceasefire  • Cologne extends contract with midfielder Marcel Risse  • Backgounder: Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics bid milestones  • Clarification on Iran's alleged nuclear bomb research plan could be long: IAEA chief  • Vietnam, Brunei strengthen military ties  • US official seeks BiH cooperation over fight against IS  • Ghana mourns over 200 flood, fire victims  • Greece's FinMin calls for joint compromise with donors in Berlin  
You are here: 　 Home

Four new events added to Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Games program

Xinhua, June 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

Four new events, including curling mixed doubles, have received approval here on Monday to be added into the Olympic program of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games.

The new events are speed skating mass start, Alpine skiing nations team event and snowboard Big Air alongside with the curling mixed doubles that were shown green light during the two-day executive board meeting held at the IOC headquarters.

In exchange, the EB decided to remove the snowboard Parallel Slalom allowing for snowboard Big Air to enter the program, in agreement with the International ski federation (FIS).

"The changes reflect the continued evolution of the Winter Olympic Program and build on the success of recent editions of the Games," read a statement released Monday afternoon to the media prior to the press conference to be attended by IOC president Thomas Bach.

"They also build on the reforms outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020 which aim to create more flexibility into the Olympic program of the Olympic Games," it added.

With the new program, a record number of female events, mixed events, as well as female athletes and a projecterd increase in the overall female participation rates have been made a seeable boost.

"Requests for changes to the program were received from the International Federations (IFs) and considered according to the following criteria: added value; youth appeal; attractiveness for TV, media and the general public; gender equality; minimum impact on the number of events and/or quotes; and infrastructure and operational cost and complexity," explain the IOC statement. Endi