The introduction of new Olympic sailing disciplines has not always been easy in the past and has brought some surprises. However, the current process is unique: mixed offshore sailing, which was added to the list of disciplines for the 2024 Olympic Games by the members of the World Sailing Federation in 2019, is about to be cancelled even before its hoped-for premiere. The reason: the International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not seem to be able to warm to the idea of a medium-distance regatta over several nights. Although the review is still ongoing, the IOC announced, IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell sent a letter to the new World Sailing Federation President Quanhai Li on 12 April, which casts more than a little doubt on whether the sailing discipline will ever reach the Olympic starting line in Marseille 2024. YACHT online reported on this.
The letter calls on the World Sailing Federation to submit alternative proposals to the IOC regardless of the ongoing review of Mixed Offshore. This must be done by 26 May 2021 in order to provide the IOC with a sufficient basis for a decision on all sports for the 2024 Olympic programme by the Executive Board on 8 June of this year. The critical areas of the Mixed Offshore discipline, labelled as "challenges" by the IOC, are "field safety, scale and complexity", "broadcasting costs and complexity" and the "inability of World Sailing to deliver a World Championship".
The prospects seemed good for the new Olympic discipline of mixed offshore. Now they have sunk to a minimum
As the IOC review has been underway for a long time and other new disciplines such as 470 mixed have long since been waved through, there is little hope for the mixed offshore sailors. Worse still, the World Sailing Federation only has five weeks to come up with an alternative solution that is acceptable to the IOC - otherwise they risk losing their tenth sailing medal at the Olympic Games. World Sailing's General Manager David Graham has also recognised the threatening scenario from a sailing perspective. The Brit said: "This is disappointing news."
World Sailing continues to promote mixed offshore, but wants to offer an alternative
Where is the World Sailing Federation supposed to get in a few weeks what it hasn't managed in years? Because maintaining a 1:1 gender distribution and at least one, preferably several, world championships already organised under the World Sailing umbrella are also basic prerequisites for the green light from the IOC for a new discipline, there are hardly any sensible last-minute alternatives. The Finn class, which has been displaced by Mixed Offshore, is out of the question as an all-male discipline. Mixed match racing could work just like other mixed disciplines in tried and tested classes.
Graham said that the World Sailing Federation would continue to promote mixed offshore, but at the same time confirmed that it would offer the IOC an alternative by the deadline. On the way there, World Sailing's members are currently required to submit corresponding proposals to their umbrella organisation by 23 April. This in turn means that sailors all over the world can submit proposals to their national associations in a timely manner. These proposals will be published on 30 April and then examined and discussed by the Constitution, Disciplines and Equipment Committee of the World Sailing Federation on 10 and 11 May. The committee will make a recommendation to the World Sailing Council. The Council will make its decision on 14 May.
The World Sailing Federation in an "unprecedented situation"
Graham considers the deadline for submitting an alternative to be "tight". It comes at a time when the World Sailing Federation, like many international sports federations, is struggling with the consequences of the pandemic and the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games to 2021. David Graham therefore made an emotional appeal to the members: "World Sailing is in an unprecedented situation. Now is the time for the World Sailing community to unite and work together."
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
