Paintball at Olympic Games?

[Nick Brockdorff]

I keep hearing this rumour all over - something about paintball being accepted as a "B-sport" and being on trial at the 2008 Olympics in Peking.

Personally I think it is a load of crap - as I find it hard to believe the Olympic Committee would deal with a sport without a federation.... but just in case - does anyone have any information to substantiate this rumour (or kill it once and for all)?

Nick

 

[Dannefaerd]

According to the International Olympic Committee website - there is a report that outlines criteria for sports to be accepted. This can be found here.

Key points:

• We need country federations
• We need an overall international federation
• We need an established drug testing policy

There is a whole bunch more - but these alone will help kill this rumor.

Martin

 

[Baca Loco]

Why drug testing? Won't they take the players word for it they are using?

 

[Dusty]

not enough players left after the drug testing for a seven man team, never mind a tournament........

 

[Chicago]

Originally posted by Dannefaerd
According to the International Olympic Committee website - there is a report that outlines criteria for sports to be accepted. This can be found here.

Key points:

• We need country federations
• We need an overall international federation
• We need an established drug testing policy

There is a whole bunch more - but these alone will help kill this rumor.

Martin

Not just an established policy, but an actual, regular, enfocement program. And we're not talking coke here, we're talking anything that could be a steroid, or anything that LOOKS like a steroid on a test, or anything that might MASK a steroid on a test. Olympic athletes have to excecise RIGOROUS control over their medication and diet; take the wrong cold medicine or eat to uch of the wrong food and you fail your test.

Considering the inability of most paintball players to understand such concepts as "Don't cut off parts of your masks", I fear the time when we could be considered for an Olympic sport is far, far in the future.

 

[Matski]

Most athletes do take performance enhancing drugs, they just cycle them so that only insignificant amounts are left in the body at test date.....or fake a bike accident and stay in hospital instead

For an Olympic effort surely paintball needs athletes first. Who would compete? Athletes are dedicated actual pro's.. only the Russians come close at the mo...

 

[BURLEY]

Originally posted by matski
For an Olympic effort surely paintball needs athletes first.

Why bother with athletes if there isn't even a standard format and a set of rules that is accepted worldwide and enforcable?

Besides as long as the sport is dominated by the industry, in stead of supported by it, paintball will never have a chance becomming an official sport let alone an olympic one.

 

[JM #036]

Originally posted by dusty
not enough players left after the drug testing for a seven man team, never mind a tournament........

Originally posted by Dannefaerd

We need an established drug testing policy

hehehehe, there goes half of decents players in the UK

 

[jotajotaZ]

There are not exhibition sports (B-sports) anymore, since Barcelona'92. Paintball hasn't got an International Federation, let alone one recognized by the Olympic Chapter.

IOC bylaws: http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_122.pdf

IOC requirements:

Chapter 5, Article 52:
1 Olympic Sports included in the Programme of the Olympic Games

1.1 To be included in the programme of the Olympic Games, an Olympic sport must conform to the following criteria:

1.1.1 only sports widely practised by men in at least seventy-five countries and on four continents, and by women in at least forty countries and on three continents, may be included in the programme of the Games of the Olympiad;

1.1.2 only sports widely practised in at least twenty-five countries and on three continents may be included in the programme of the Olympic Winter Games;

1.1.3 only sports that adopt and implement the World Anti-Doping Code can be included and remain in the programme of the Olympic Games.

1.1.4 sports are admitted to the programme of the Olympic Games at least seven years before specific Olympic Games in respect of which no change shall thereafter be permitted.

I'd like to see how paintball complies with points 1.1.1, 1.1.2 or 1.1.3.

Then it continues:

5. IFs’ Notice of Participation in the Olympic Games
The IFs governing the sports included in the programme of the Olympic Games must confirm to the IOC their participation in the respective Olympic Games not later than at the time of the IOC Session which elects the host city for such Games.

Where IF stands for "International Federation", which are supposed to take care of:
Chapter 3, article 30:

1 The role of the IFs is to:
1.1 establish and enforce, in accordance with the Olympic spirit, the rules concerning the practice of their respective sports and to ensure their application;

1.2 ensure the development of their sports throughout the world;

1.3 contribute to the achievement of the goals set out in the Olympic Charter, in particular by way of the spread of Olympism and Olympic education;

1.4 establish their criteria of eligibility to the competitions of the Olympic Games in conformity with the Olympic Charter, and to submit these to the IOC for approval;

1.5 assume the responsibility for the technical control and direction of their sports at the Olympic Games and at the Games under the patronage of the IOC;

1.6 provide technical assistance in the practical implementation of the Olympic Solidarity programme.

So chances for paintball to be in the olympics? Zero, I'd say.

 

[Mark Toye-Nexus]

So how, in heavens name, does baseball get on the list then!!!!