If there's one way to deflect from the Olympics being routinely mired in scandals - it's to make make it more hip and urban for the kids.
And so, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has taken the bold move of giving a provisional green light to breakdancing/breaking, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing to be included in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The decision was made by the IOC executive board in support of the recommendation of the Olympic Programme Commission.
Surfing, climbing and skateboarding will be part of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. How they fare there will potentially allow for their final inclusion in Paris four years later.
Breaking and sport climbing both appeared as medal events at the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018.
IOC president Thomas Bach said the sports would contribute to making the programme of the Olympic Games "more gender balanced, more youthful and more urban".
“All four of these proposed sports are clearly in line with Olympic Agenda 2020. They contribute to making the programme of the Olympic Games more gender balanced, more youthful and more urban. They offer the opportunity to connect with the young generation,” he said.
The framework for consideration included fitting into the Paris 2024 venue master plan; reflecting Paris' vision to host youthful, urban, gender-balanced, innovative and spectacular Games; and being in line with the Paris 2024 global sports concept to include dynamic, inclusive and accessible events.
This means that Sky Brown will get the chance to strut her stuff on the world's biggest stage in Tokyo and become Britain's youngest ever Olympian. The phenom is just 10 years old now and is already the world's youngest professional skateboarder and has amassed more than 300,000 Instagram followers. In fact, she turned professional at seven.
She is used to breaking records and is tipped to easily qualify for the Games in Tokyo when she will have just turned 12.
"Hopefully, I can go to Tokyo because I want to go there while I am young and to show every girl that you can do everything. It doesn’t matter about your age. You can just go for it even though you are little," she told The Guardian.
Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet said the sports would bring a whole new audience for the Olympic Games.
“When considering new sports for our proposal, we were guided by three principles – sustainability, sports that speak to youth and those that reflect Paris 2024’s identity. We wanted to choose popular sports that are inclusive, accessible, and promote creativity while best complimenting the existing sports programme. We believe these four sports are an opportunity to bring new audiences to the Olympic Games," he said.
