France’s “Federation Francaise SURF” is fighting for the integration of SUP in the 2024 Olympic Games.
Let us hope again! According to a report from our colleague at TotalSUP, the French Surf Federation is fighting together with the ISA to integrate SUP in the Olympic Games in four years.
Of course, nothing has been decided yet, as Serge Lougarot from FFS emphasizes. But what-if scenarios are already being hotly debated, for example, there is speculation that the long-distance race on the Seine will take place. Even more: the idea would be to have the Olympic athletes start in front, followed by hundreds, if not thousands of amateurs. A “Paris Crossing” of superlatives.
Further down in the report on TotalSUP it is confirmed what I already suspected and why there is a good chance for integration in France: Serge Lougarot also made it clear to the ICO of France that France has many good athletes and with a participation of SUP this would also mean more medals for France.
This is how the IOC conducts business:
If a national association is big and powerful, it also has many good athletes. All countries want to be at the top of the medal table. So if you have the argument that if you bring a sport to the Games, the chances of winning more medals increase as well, then the responsible country can decide in favor of a new sport.
But that does not mean that this new sport will be in the Olympic Games four years later. The decision of a permanent integration in the Games is up to the IOC itself and not the country hosting the Games.
But one thing is certain: The French plus ISA, i.e. Fernando will give everything to bring SUP to the Olympic Games in France. That would be a huge blow for us. I hope the FFS and the ISA will be successful.
If you want to have it a bit more detailed you can read everything on TotalSUP.