I'm not sure how far under the radar this story has been flying the past couple of weeks, but given the legal battles in Canada over the exclusion of female ski jumpers for the 2010 Vancouver Games, I'm sure a lot of sports, a lot of lobby groups, and a lot of fans will be watching the IOC's decision over what (if any) new sports to include for the 2012 London Summer Games.
The International Olympic Committee executive board will meet in Berlin on Thursday to consider a range of changes put forward by the 26 summer Olympic sports federations.
The board will also recommend two sports for inclusion in the 2016 Olympics, with golf and rugby sevens the favourites in a group that also includes baseball, softball, karate, squash and roller sports.
The 15-member board must weigh the demands against its stated goals of gender equality and universality - the opportunity for all nations to compete with a realistic chance of winning medals - while keeping within a limit of 10,500 athletes.
The most dramatic change for 2012 would be the introduction of women's classes in boxing, currently the only summer Olympic sport exclusively for men.
A number of major international sports currently are not in the Olympics, including three which have serious roots in Britain and could arguably make a case for inclusion (or reinstatement) in the London Games - rugby, cricket, and, to a lesser extent, golf. However, do such sports have a solid enough footing internationally (beyond the known powerhouses of the sports) to be considered for the Games? Logistically, organizationally, and financially, would the involvement of any of the three be a viable entry for the 2012 Games?
The IOC have some interesting decisions ahead not only in the coming days, but also the coming years, as the professionalization of sport expands and captures more and more sports, and provides added sophistication, globalization, and market value to different sports. Is a 50m sprint in freestyle swimming a comparable option for organizers to rugby sevens? Is roller-hockey an Olympic sport in the eyes of the majority? With the rapid expansion of the X-Games, and of action sports in general, will we see more extreme sports enter the Olympics in the coming years?
Certainly worth keeping an eye on...
UPDATE: A couple of early favourites have emerged in the race for 2016. Tiger at the Olympics?
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