UCI President Brian Cookson Calls for Radical Changes to Olympic Programme

The President of the International Cycling Union (UCI) Brian Cookson has said that a number of indoor sports should switch from the Summer Olympic Games to the Winter.

Track cycling, judo and badminton were named by the former British Cycling President as possible sports to move so they could have more events and medals.

Cookson, who has been in his position since September 2013, also told the Press Association Sport news agency that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should add cyclo-cross and Downhill Mountain biking to the Winter Games programme.

The 62 year-old commented: “If you have a problem with summer Olympics where the whole thing is perceived as over-heated with too many facilities, too many sports, too many competitors and so on, why not look at moving some of the other sports that traditionally take place in the winter in the northern hemisphere indoors?

“So why not look at combat sports like judo, or other indoor sports like badminton, you could even say what about putting track cycling in the winter Olympics?

“If we moved track cycling to the winter Olympics and that allowed us to have more track cycling events and more medals then that could be a pretty good outcome. So let’s talk about those things and see what the stakeholders, the national federations, the teams and the competitors have to say about those options.”

A special session in Monaco will be held at the end of 2014 by the IOC to review such issues.

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