Orange County, Calif. —
The Tokyo 2020 Skateboarding Commission, a collaboration between the
Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS) and the International
Skateboarding Federation (ISF), is proud to announce the addition of
Skateboarding into the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. At the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) general session today in Rio de Janeiro, the IOC unanimously
approved Skateboarding as one of five new sports making their historic Olympic
debuts.
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| (l to r) Current SLS Nike SB Super Crown Men’s and Women’s World Champions Kelvin Hoefler and Leticia Bufoni with IOC President Thomas Bach, ISF Athlete Representative Neal Hendrix and professional skateboarder Candy Jacobs at the Nanjing 2014 Sports Lab during the Youth Olympic Games. Photo courtesy of ISF. |
The Organizing Committee for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
proposed the new sports in response to the flexibility provided by Olympic
Agenda 2020 which is the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic
Movement. Skateboarding’s vast youth appeal, accessibility and legacy plan make
it a perfect fit for Tokyo 2020’s vision of a youth-focused and inspiring
Games.
“I’ve always believed that if skateboarding was properly
protected and supported, its appearance on the Olympic stage could change the
world,” said Gary Ream, Tokyo 2020 Skateboarding Commission Chairman and ISF
President. “We’re excited to have that opportunity in Tokyo thanks to the IOC’s
Agenda 2020 and the creation of the Tokyo 2020 Skateboarding Commission.”
The Tokyo 2020 Skateboarding Commission – a first-time
partnership between FIRS and ISF – was formed under the guidance of the
International Olympic Committee to ensure skateboarding competitions will be
delivered at the highest level at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The Commission
is in charge of all aspects of producing the Skateboard Street and Park Terrain
events at the Games. The three-person, international panel of members that form
the Tokyo 2020 Skateboarding Commission include: Gary Ream, President, ISF;
Simone Masserini, Executive Director, FIRS; Neal Hendrix, pro skateboarder and
ISF athlete representative.
“This is a monumental achievement that makes our
organization proud to be part of,” said Sabatini Aracu, FIRS president. “It
will be our duty at the highest level to make sure that the presence of
skateboarding in the Tokyo Olympic Games meets the highest expectations.”
Professional skateboarder and ISF athlete representative,
Neal Hendrix, said: “I’m excited to be the athlete representative on the Tokyo
2020 Skateboarding Commission. It is really important to me that skateboarding
culture is fairly represented and protected on this global stage, and I hope
skateboarders worldwide will be proud of the show that the best male and female
skateboarders in the world are going to put on in Tokyo in 2020.”
For images and more information, log on to
www.skateboarding2020.com.
About Tokyo 2020 Skateboarding Commission (TSC)
The Tokyo 2020 Skateboarding Commission is a partnership
between the Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports and the International
Skateboarding Federation formed under the guidance of the International Olympic
Committee. The TSC is in charge of all aspects of producing the Skateboard
Street and Park Terrain events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
About Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS)
The Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports is recognized
by the International Olympic Committee as the governing body of Skateboarding.
As the governing body, FIRS is responsible for institutional matters related to
skateboarding including anti-doping, match-fixing and illegal betting.
About International Skateboarding Federation (ISF)
The International Skateboarding Federation was established
to provide direction and governance to the sport of skateboarding worldwide
while upholding the culture, authenticity and lifestyle of skateboarding that
is freedom of self-expression, passion and creativity.
Contacts:Katie Moses Swope, MoSwo PR, +1 (619) 432-2280; EmailSimone Masserini, FIRS; EmailJosh Friedberg, ISF; Email
