Compromise in the air for return of windsurfing to Olympics
World governing body softens its stance, raising hopes windsurfing will be retained for Rio Games alongside kiteboarding
A compromise could mean kiteboarding and the sport it replaced, windsurfing, will both appear at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, a leading Hong Kong sailing official said.
Hong Kong Windsurfing Association executive director Dennis Chau Wai-keung said a number of options were being explored to keep at least one Olympic class for windsurfing.
His hopes have been raised after the International Sailing Federation (Isaf) executive committee said it was prepared to change a part of the regulations at its meeting next month regarding the inclusion of men's and women's kiteboarding at the 2016 Rio Games.
"This is a good sign for us because the executive committee has softened its stance and is now willing to discuss it," said Chau. "Whether they want to keep windsurfing in either men's or women's or make it a mixed event for both genders, it seems to me the two classes are looking for a compromise."
Submissions from 26 sailing federations, including Hong Kong, said the Isaf had sacrificed one of the most popular events in terms of participation and global spread when it dropped windsurfing at its mid-year meeting in May.
They also said kiteboarding was a new and fascinating discipline but it had very little participation by women in racing at the world championships (seven women in 2009, eight women in 2010).
The compromise options include keeping the men's kiteboarding, but scrapping the women's competition to make way for the return of a mixed RSX (men and women) windsurfing event.