The IPC provisionally approves bobsleigh for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games

“I would like to congratulate the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) after bobsleigh was provisionally accepted to be part of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games."

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board provisionally approved the inclusion of bobsleigh for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games at a meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Monday (5 September).

Bobsleigh will line-up alongside the six existing Paralympic winter sports – alpine skiing, biathlon, cross country skiing, ice sledge hockey, snowboard and wheelchair curling – which were formally approved by the Governing Board on Monday to be part of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games sports programme. The application for skeleton to be included in the Games was not successful due to the sport not fulfilling a number of the criteria needed.

For bobsleigh to be given full approval for inclusion in Beijing 2022, the sport must meet a number of minimum requirements laid out by the IPC Governing Board in both the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons.

In each of the two seasons, the sport must host at least six World Cup races plus a World Championships. A minimum of 12 nations from at least three regions should also be participating each year.

The decision is subject to final written approval by both the International Olympic Committee and the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee.

Sir Philip Craven, IPC President said: “I would like to congratulate the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) after bobsleigh was provisionally accepted to be part of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

“As a relatively young and growing sport within the Paralympic Movement, bobsleigh currently does not fulfil all the criteria required for full inclusion in the Games which is why we have stipulated a number of measures for the sport to meet over the coming years.

“We are always looking to freshen up the Paralympic sports programme and grow the size and scale of the Winter Games. Providing the IBSF can meet the conditions we have outlined then bobsleigh will be a welcome addition to the Games in 2022.”

In Monday’s meeting, the IPC Governing Board provisionally approved the Aomi venue for football 5-a-side competition during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Since April 2016, Tokyo 2020 has been conducting feasibility studies regarding potential venues for the sport with IBSA, the international federation for football 5-a-side. As a result of the studies and discussion, the Aomi venue was identified as the most suitable venue for the sport and received official IBSA approval on 29 August 2016. The Aomi venue was also announced as the potential venue for the skateboarding and sport climbing competitions for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the recent IOC Session and will be proposed to the IOC Executive Board for its final approval this December.

Toshiro Muto, Tokyo 2020 Chief Executive Officer, said: “The International Paralympic Committee Governing Board has approved our proposed venue for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Football 5-a-side competition. We will continue to conduct our Games preparations in line with our ‘Athlete-first’ concept to ensure that we are able to provide the optimal environment for all athletes to perform to the peak of their abilities.”