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Last week we looked at the event changes between the 2020 and the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. The other notable change ahead of those games will be the number of athletes competing. Totallympics takes a closer look. Using the qualification documents, the 2020 Olympics had an expected athlete quota of 11,114 (the final number was higher due to some sports having more athletes than expected qualify and the IOC allowing more athletes to compete at the games due to COVID-19, court appeals and via the refugee team). The 2024 Olympics is set to have a total of 10,500 athletes, a decrease of 614 quotas. As baseball/softball and karate were not selected as host selected sports, the athlete quotas were completely removed. This saw a reduction of 234 and 80 quotas respectively. However, with the other host selected sports seeing an increase in athlete quotas, this reduction had a net effect of -242. The remaining 72 quotas were split between the four sports with breaking getting the most quotas (32 athletes) as the sport is set to make its Olympic debut. Sport climbing, the only returning sport to get an increase in its total events sees a notable increase of 28 athletes while skateboarding and surfing will see increases of 8 and 4 respectively. Of the 28 core sports, all of them either saw them maintaining their 2020 quotas or saw an overall decrease. Cycling is a bit unique as while the overall sport saw a decrease of quotas (-14 athletes), the BMX freestyle (+6) and track cycling (+1) disciplines saw an increase of athletes, but were offset by a decrease in mountain biking (-4) and road cycling (-17). Among the core sports, athletics will experience the largest decrease with 90 fewer athletes expected to attend the 2024 games. Due to the removal of four events, weightlifting also has a significant decrease with 76 fewer athletes while aquatics rounds out the top 3 with 62 fewer athletes (-8 in artistic swimming, -6 in open water swimming, -26 in swimming and -22 in water polo). A summary of the quota changes can be seen in the table below. Of the sports which lost athlete quotas most of them only saw losses of less than 6% of their total quotas from 2020. The two exceptions were boxing and weightlifting. Both sports have recently lost favour in the eyes of the IOC. Even after adjusting weightlifting having fewer events, both sports will experience a decrease of over 10% of their 2020 total. While these athlete quota cuts were made by the IOC as a cost saving measure, they remain quite controversial. Detractors argue that it is not in the spirit of the Olympics and that it would make nations with smaller teams even smaller. What do you think, is the cost saving measures a necessary evil or are there other ways the IOC could cut costs?

As the 2020-21 Squash World Championships get underway today, I'm struck by the absence of the sport on the Olympic program. One wonders what sin squash must have committed to result not being included ever. It's not like the sport hasn't recently tried. The World Squash Federation (WSF)'s bids for inclusion were unsuccessful for the Games in 2012, 2016, 2020, and now 2024. It certainly is a head-scratcher, as there are so many boxes checked for what fits as an Olympic sport. So, here's my pitch: History Similar to its racket sport cousin badminton, squash has its origins in the British mid-1800s. The first national association for squash, now U.S. Squash, was formed in 1904, and the oldest squash tournament, the British Open Squash Championships, were first held in 1929. The Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Championships separated from the British Open as a stand-alone event in 1976, and is now considered the crowning event to the seasonal PSA World Tour. Diversity It's truly a global sport. The WSF counts 50,000 courts worldwide, and a membership of almost 150 nations. The top 10 seeds for the World Championships across both men's and women's fields represent eight different nations and all six continental regions: Africa (Egypt), Asia (India), Europe (France, Great Britain), North America (United States), Oceania (New Zealand), and South America (Colombia, Peru). Players from Switzerland, Latvia, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Hong Kong, Germany, Netherlands, South Africa, Czech Republic, and Belgium are also in the fields. Legendary players in squash history have also come from Malaysia (Nicol David), Pakistan (Jansher Khan) - both eight-time world champions - and Australia (five-time winner Sarah Fitzgerald). Athletic Stars These are serious, professional athletes. The World Championship total pot is $1 million U.S., while the prize for World Tour events can reach $175,000 U.S. for both men and women. Nicol David, widely recently voted as the World Games Greatest Athlete of All Time, has an estimated net worth over $1 million U.S. from career earnings and endorsements. Nicol David was world champion a record eight times Urban Squash can be played right within urban centers. New York's J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions is played inside Grand Central Station. San Francisco's Oracle NetSuite Open is played alongside the Embarcadero's Ferry Building. The World Championships this year will be inside Chicago's University Club. Wherever one might put, say, a breakdancing or 3x3 basketball court, or a beach volleyball sandpit, one could put a squash court. Sustainability The PSA uses an all-glass, portable court ringed by temporary grandstand seating that is easily transported, set up, and broken down. There's no need to build new infrastructure. Fan Accessibility And, that glass court allows for spectator intimacy with the action. Similar to tennis, squash tournaments are straightforward single elimination events, so competition is fast-paced and athletic - and can be easily consumed by fans. A tournament with fields of 32 for both men and women can easily be finished in less than a week. The next Olympic opportunity for squash won't be until Los Angeles 2028. But that may be a longshot, too, as baseball and softball are likely to make a comeback. Lacrosse and cricket are making inroads, too. Karate, in for Tokyo 2020 but out for Paris 2024, would also be in the mix. And, it's unlikely a different spot would open up from the existing core sports. Here's French star Gregory Gaultier probably pondering what an Olympic medal would look like around his neck It's a shame, as the global, engaging nature of the sport fits well within the Olympics. I'm not sure what the reluctance has been - too elite? (more so than golf?), too exclusive? (more than artistic swimming?) not practical? (um, the portable glass court...) not hip enough? (refer back to Nicol David's popularity, for one) - but the diversity, ease of engagement, and history of the sport deserve a spotlight. It's well past time. This opinion piece originally appeared at gamesandrings.com.

Nicol David (MAS) can now officially lay claim to being the Greatest World Games Athlete of All-Time after she won an online fan-vote. The Malaysian Squash superstar won the vote with 318,943 votes to her name. David is a three-time gold medalist in women’s singles at the World Games. She also has a bronze medal to her name from the most recent edition of the Games. Speaking about the honor, David said, “It came as a surprise to see me amongst these other top athletes and I’m grateful for this...hopefully it can elevate attention for the future of Squash, and it’s a proud moment to represent my country and Asia.” World Squash Federation President Zena Wooldridge commented, “Nicol has beaten a number of distinguished athletes to first place and her victory is recognition of a wonderful career that saw her break numerous records and win everything there was to win in the sport.” She continued, “Not only is Nicol one of the greatest athletes of all time, she is also a tremendous role model for thousands of people across the globe and a true ambassador for our sport. I’m also delighted to see the support Nicol enjoyed from our passionate and loyal squash community and we are all proud to see Nicol named as The World Games Greatest Athlete of All Time.” The runner-up for The World Games Greatest Athlete of All Time honor was James Kehoe (IRL). Kehoe, who finished the vote with 113,120 votes to his name, is a nine-time medalist at the World Games in Tug of War. Speaking about the support he received during the vote, he stated, “It’s been a very different but exciting few weeks. I am a shy person by nature and prefer to be out of the spotlight, but as the competition progresses, much to my surprise I am enjoying it more. I am totally overwhelmed by the amount of support I am receiving. It is an honour for me and my club to have been chosen as a competitor in this competition.” Powerlifter Larysa Soloviova (UKR) finished third in the vote. Soloviova has four World Games gold medals to her name. Commenting on her performance in the vote, Soloviova stated, “During these weeks, we had a great challenge. People all over the world had to choose between many GREAT sportsmen. Each of these sportsmen deserve to be written down in the history of The World Games. I want to express my gratitude to all the powerlifters and friends of our sport from all the part of the World for their dedication and support! Thank you for constant everyday voting for me and for Powerlifting in general.” She continued, “Thanks to the Ukrainian National Powerlifting Federation, Regional Powerlifitng Federations and International Powerlifting Federation for the media support and encouragement! I am very happy that we reached our goal together. My Friends, you proved to the World that Powerlifting is a big and strong sport Family, which unites many thousands of faithful hearts beating in one rhythm – rhythm of Sport. I strongly believe that our achievement will make a huge push in the promotion of powerlifting." Speaking on David’s victory, and more so about the vote itself, IWGA President José Perurena stated, “I would like to warmly congratulate Nicol David, and also all the other candidates in the race. Nicol David is an inspirational athlete, and a fine role model for younger athletes. The race was incredible, and it was good to see how athletes got support not only from their own sport, but also from their country and the highest sports authorities there. Sports really unite people in a special way. This vote was a celebration of that.” The World Games are a quadrennial international multi-sports games mainly for sports not present at the Olympic Games. The next edition of the Games is scheduled to be held in Birmingham, Alabama in 2022. To view full results of the online vote, click here.

Two more sports have been confirmed by the EOC as part of the Kraków-Małopolska 2023 European Games. Karate and beach handball will both debut in the youngest Continental Games of the world. Karate will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo, but it will be just a "one-off," as the sport has not found a place in Paris 2024 sports programme. The sport has also been a part of all the World Games, since the inaugural edition in 1981. Beach Handball featured the latest YOG (Youth Olympic Games) in Buenos Aires, the first edition of the World Beach Games in Doha in 2019, as well as, all of the editions of the World Games since 2001, including the last edition held in Wrocław, Poland. The 2023 European Games host country, Poland, has also already organized the 2019 European Championships in this discipline. Earlier this month, taekwondo, canoe slalom, and modern pentathlon were announced as the first officially confirmed sports for the 2023 European Games, with the latter two being direct qualification events for Paris 2024.

The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) announced today that the Spanish city of Palma will serve as host for the 2021 version of the IFAF Flag Football World Championships from October 6-10. This comes several months after the 2020 IFAF Flag Football World Championships, which were supposed to be held in Denmark, were cancelled because of COVID-19. This is not a surprising move by IFAF since the Spanish Federation of American Football (FEFA) expressed immense interest in picking up the hosting duties since the cancellation of last year’s World Championships. Perhaps the biggest part of this announcement is the fact that these World Championships will serve as the qualifier for the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama. According to IFAF, the top seven men's and women's teams will book a trip to the World Games in July of 2022. Because of COVID-19, there will be no qualifications for this event, instead IFAF will announce a field of teams in early 2021. However, expect Austria, Israel, Denmark, France, Japan, Mexico, and Panama to be very competitive. Throughout the world there are many versions of flag football. According to the current IFAF rulebook, the version that will be played at the World Championship is the 5 on 5 Non-Contact version, which to many in the American Football community is the least entertaining version of not just flag football, but American Football. It will be interesting to see if these rules are adjusted at the next IFAF General Meeting. Perhaps the Birmingham Organizing Committee will step in and insist on an 8 on 8, or 7 on 7, more exciting version of flag football. With this announcement, not only do we see IFAF continuing to offer olive branches to those nations who were on the IFAF-Paris side of the IFAF schism of 2015; but also, their dedication towards flag football over the traditional tackle version of American Football. IFAF sees flag football as their entry into the Olympic Games, and thus have thrown most of their resources into the flag bucket. Shorter, safer, and gender equal sports seem to be the rage with the IOC, as seen with the additions of Rugby 7's and 3x3 Basketball. Could Flag Football be next? It's an opportunity that IFAF will not pass on. But first, let's see what Palma will offer next fall. Source: https://www.ifaf.org/news/spain-to-host-2021-world-flag#.X7iBPmhKiUk

The International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation announced that the 2021 IWWF World Waterski Championships will be held in Lake County, Florida. After an 18-year wait, the IWWF World Waterski Championships will return to the United States. The biennial event will be hosted at the Jack Travers Water Ski School on October 11-17, 2021. It is expected that more than 200 water skiers, from around 35 countries, will compete in the championships. “We are thrilled to host the 75th Anniversary edition of the IWWF World Waterski Championships in Florida, the birth place and waterski capital of the world, at one of the premier venues so athletes can perform to the best of their abilities.” said Jose Antonio Perez Priego, President of IWWF. “As the National Governing Body for the sport in the United States, we are thrilled to host this global event here in Florida,” said Tim Cullen, President of USA Water Ski & Wake Sports. “For competitive three-event water skiers this is the marquee event on the competition schedule.” “On behalf of our partners at Visit Lake and Jack Travers Water Ski School, we are excited to welcome the 2021 IWWF World Waterski Championship to Lake County,” said Jason Siegel, President & CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “Our community looks forward to providing a safe and exciting environment for the skiers and their families who are traveling to compete in this prestigious event.” The 2021 event will include a week of meetings for IWWF’s Bureau, Executive Board and World Congress, as well as an International Hall of Fame Awards ceremony concluding the week’s festivities.

The official Rugby World Cup 2021 match ball design was unveiled by World Rugby and Gilbert today. The official Gilbert Rugby World Cup 2021 ball features unique elements from the tournament’s striking brand look and feel which integrates the energetic RipoRipo graphic. The RipoRipo carries cultural significance in New Zealand, where the 2021 tournament will be hosted, representing the water and the land. Gilbert have a long-standing affiliation with the women’s editions of Rugby World Cups, having supplied the match balls to every tournament since 1991. The 2021 tournament edition will be the first time ever that Gilbert have offered a full range of replica and supporter products, to commemorate the tournament. World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “As anticipation builds ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2021 Draw, which is less than three days away, we are delighted to mark another important milestone with the unveiling of the official Rugby World Cup 2021 ball with our partner Gilbert, a longstanding supporter of the women’s game.” Richard Gray, CEO Commercial at Gilbert Rugby, added: “We are delighted to renew our long and successful relationship with Rugby World Cup and to extend our support of women’s rugby. The 2021 tournament promises to be an unforgettable experience and we are excited to today launch the official ball design – celebrating New Zealand’s unique rugby history and heritage. Having supported women’s Rugby World Cup since 1991, for the first time ever, everyone at Gilbert is proud to offer an unprecedented full range of products for supporters for the 2021 edition.” Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand will be contested by 12 nations and will kick off on September 18th with the winner to be crowned at Eden Park on October 16th.

On Tuesday, Zeljko Karajica of SEH Sports & Entertainment Holding and Patrick Esume, probably the most well known and connected European in American Football, announced that they will launch the first fully professional American Football League since NFL Europe packed up and left the continent in 2007. In June of 2021, the European League of Football, or ELF, will launch with eight teams. Six will be located in Germany with teams calling the cities of Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Hannover and Ingolstadt, home. The seventh team will feature the Wroclaw Panthers from Poland, perhaps the biggest powerhouse in European American Football. An eighth team will be featured at a later date. Patrick Esume, better known on the gridiron as "Coach" Esume, has a stellar resume on the European continent. The former linebacker won multiple German Bowls, Eurobowls, and World Bowls as a player. Currently, Esume is the Head Coach of the French National Team, who most recently won gold at the 2017 World Games in Wroclaw, as well as the latest version of the European Championship. Esume is confident that this venture will work, and believes that the ELF will allow the sport of American Football to flourish in Europe: “With more than 65,000 members in 500 clubs, the football family in Germany has doubled since 2008. The ratings of the NFL broadcasts are growing from year to year, with almost two million people in front of their TV’s during the Super Bowl 2020. The desire for football is gigantic – and our proud franchises and the ELF will satisfy that need in the NFL-free time with top European sport.” Do I love this idea? Of course. I think anything to grow the game of American Football is great. However, American Football is a costly sport. There is a reason why it is not as popular as other "easily accessible" sports across the globe. Starting a league with the premier team in Europe on your side is great, but there is a need for DEEP pockets if they want to fund a "fully professional" American Football league. Let's even throw paying the players out of the equation. They still will need to pay for facilities, physios, room and board, equipment, coaches and staff. The current format of American Football in Europe works because teams only pay three players, their import players. In most European leagues, teams are allowed three "imports" or American players, who are paid a very low salary, but are given benefits such as room, board, and flights. A full professional league is going to need more than just three Americans on a roster. If you want a quality professional American Football league, you're going to need quality players. Therefore an import rule of at least ten Americans per team would be required. Here is the major question: Does the ELF have enough funding and money to operate a successful American Football League? Former start ups such as the XFL, AAF, UFL, AFL all took major loses and eventually folded. If the ELF is serious about being "fully" professional, then they better be "fully" funded. Here's the hard fact. American Football Leagues come and go. I've played in many of these now "folded" leagues, and I've learned one thing. The NFL is king. If you're looking to make money playing, coaching, or even promoting American Football, you go to the NFL. Outside of that, no one cares about adult American Football. Photo: Wroclaw Olympic Stadium (wroclawuncut.com) Source: (americanfootballinternational.com)