Friday, December 11, 2009

Mixed doubles for London 2012


The IOC have revealed changes in the tennis and cycling programmes to promote gender parity at the London 2012 Games.

Mixed doubles tennis will take place at London 2012, after an IOC executive board meeting in Lausanne approved the suggestion made by the International Tennis Federation.

The event has been introduced alongside the men's and women's singles and men's and women's doubles without increasing the number of overall competitors.

An IOC statement read: "The changes reflect the IOC's desire to continually refresh the programme, as well as its commitment to increase women's participation.

"The inclusion of the tennis mixed doubles event will not increase the current number of athletes and will bring an added value to the Olympic programme by providing another opportunity for men and women to compete together on the same field of play."

The IOC ratified the International Cycling Union's proposed changes to the Olympic track cycling programme in full.

In a bid for gender parity, the UCI and IOC have agreed to a programme to begin at London 2012 which features five men's and five women's events.

The men's and women's individual pursuits, men's and women's points races and the men's Madison are to disappear in favour of sprints, keirins, team sprints, team pursuits and omniums for both sexes.

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