Click here to subscribe today or Login.
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Elimination of endurance events in track cycling and the addition of mixed doubles in tennis are up for consideration this week by the International Olympic Committee.
At a two-day meeting that starts today, the IOC executive board will make final rulings on requests by sports federations for the addition or removal of disciplines and events for the 2012 London Games.
Most contentious are the proposed changes in cycling, notably the dropping of the individual pursuit race.
The sports proposals are among the top items for a meeting that will consider the reallocation of two of the three individual medals stripped from Marion Jones for doping at the 2000 Sydney Games. But the 100-meter gold will not go to disgraced Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou, according to officials with direct knowledge of the plans told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the decision hasn’t been announced yet.
Thanou missed drug tests on the eve of the 2004 Athens Games.
Jones’ 200 gold is set to go to Pauline Davis-Thompson of the Bahamas, and her long jump bronze to Tatyana Kotova of Russia.
Cycling had seven track events for men and three for women at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Cycling’s world governing body, the UCI, is expected to propose five events for men and five for women as part of a gender parity plan. The events are believed to be individual sprint, team sprint, keirin, team pursuit and the five-race omnium event.
Under that plan, five endurance races — in men’s and women’s individual pursuit and points races, plus the men’s madison — would be dropped.
Dozens of current and former cyclists have spoken out against the elimination of the individual pursuit, one of the iconic events of the sport. An online petition with more than 4,000 signatures was sent to the IOC on Monday.
Among those affected is Tyler Phinney, the 19-year-old American reigning world champion in the event.