World Sailing have been informed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that the IOC Executive Board have approved Men's and Women's Kiteboarding (Formula Kite) for the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition.
The Men's and Women's Kiteboarding Events will replace the Mixed Kiteboarding and Mixed Offshore Events that were democratically selected by World Sailing's members.
The decision was taken at the meeting of the IOC Executive Board today, Thursday 10 June 2021 in Lausanne, Switzerland following a recommendation from the IOC Programme Commission.
David Graham, Chief Executive Officer, commented, "The IOC provided us with clear guidance and their decision-making is consistent with other sports and events. The World Sailing community acted at pace to propose alternative events and we are delighted the IOC have followed our guidance and selected our first alternative proposal of Men's and Women's Kiteboarding.
"Men's and Women's Kiteboarding will bring huge opportunities in terms of universality, developing women's sailing and the media appeal of these exciting events. We now look forward to supporting our athletes on the journey to the Paris 2024 and showcasing the sport on the beautiful Marseillaise waters in the south of France."
The IKA Formula Kite event schedule for the remainder of the year will be updated accordingly, with all events focussing now on individual racing of the male and female fleets.
Regardless of the decision, the Formula Kite class will continue to include the mixed relay event format in their competitions from 2022 onwards.
