Skateboarding, Surfing and Karate Might Be Added to the 2020 Olympics

Five sports are likely to be added to the 2020 Olympics, set to take place in Tokyo, Japan. Skateboarding, surfing, sports climbing, baseball/softball and karate are the sports being proposed by the International Olympic Committee’s executive board. A final decision on these sports being officially added will take place from Aug. 1-4, before the 2016 Olympics start on Aug. 5.

If these five sports are approved, 18 events will be added and 474 new athletes will compete in the summer Olympics. Current Olympic sports will not be impacted. According to the committee, these sports were chosen because they “offer a key focus on youth, which is at the heart of the Games vision for Tokyo 2020. They represent a combination of well-established and emerging sports with significant popularity in Japan and beyond.”