Dance, billiards or boules -- what next for the Olympics?

Ballroom dancing could become an Olympic sport in the year 2004

By Joanna Nathan, CNN.com writer

LONDON, England (CNN) -- This year it's been taekwondo and the triathlon making their Olympic debut. Now a host of other sports are knocking on the door, hoping for inclusion at Athens in 2004.

Among those bidding for the prestige, audience and sponsorship opportunities the Olympic spirit brings are billiards, boules, rugby, golf, parachuting, bowling, karate, roller-skating, water-skiing, squash and racquet ball.

A main contender is DanceSport, which the International Federation of DanceSport says should not be confused with ballroom dancing as seen at the local senior citizens’ social club.

The federation emphasises the stamina, skill and endurance needed to rumba with the world’s best.

Senior officials from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) visited the World Latin Championships in 1999, and Rudolf Baumann, president of the federation, now hopes that after 12 years of lobbying DanceSport can become a recognised sport.

Besides providing a dazzling spectacle, Baumann says a bonus for the IOC is that DanceSport is guaranteed drug-free, with muscle build-up a no-no beneath the sequins and feathers.

Anti-doping rules are proving more of a hurdle to chess and bridge -- which are hoping for inclusion as winter Olympic sports.

With older competitors than many other disciplines there has been concern that players taking strong medication for arthritis and other conditions could be excluded.

But World Bridge Federation president Jose Damiani says they are willing to accept the IOC standards.

While he is keen to challenge the image of bridge being a card-game for the elderly, saying the Internet is drawing a whole new audience, is it sport?

“The brain is the engine of all muscles,” says Damiani. “Without the brain all your muscles are nothing.”

Synchronised swimming became an Olympic sport way back in 1984

There is also the matter of the Olympic charter that defines winter sports as those that take place on ice and snow. “Nothing is unchangeable,” he adds.

In fact, the charter is somewhat vague on what exactly is an Olympic sport, beyond that it must not depend on mechanical propulsion.

But, whatever it is, a sport must be practised by men in at least 75 countries on four continents and by women in at least 40 countries on three continents for inclusion in the summer programme.

To join the winter Olympics’ line-up it must be found in at least 25 countries on three continents.

The final decision on what events will make up the Athens games is to be made in November.

Until now it has probably been synchronised swimming, a full medal sport since 1984, which has borne the brunt of snide track and field purists’ comments.

Women in floating formations is not everyone’s idea of sport, but that too could be set to change in 2004 -- with men taking to the pool.

In a move driven Bill May, the current U.S. synchronised swimming champion, the International Amateur Swimming Federation seems ready to approve a mixed double competition for the sport described as demanding the athletic ability of a long distance runner with the creative expression of an ice skater.

From CNN.com Europe.

Sydney Games to include synchronized diving
December 29, 1998
Asian Games open Sunday with everything from archery to wushu
December 5, 1998
Russian synchronized swimmers sweep technical programs
June 29, 2000

International DanceSport Federation
International Amateur Swimming Federation: Sychronized Swimming
World Chess Federation
World Bridge Federation
International Surfing Association
International Water Ski Federation
World Squash Federation
International Rugby Board
International Roller Skating Federation
International Racquetball Federation
Confederation Mondiale des Sports de Boules
World Confederation of Billard Sports
World Amateur Golf Council
Federation Aeronautique Internationale

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