IWWF Continues Its Olympic 2024 Quest
2 February 2019
From Left: Jose Antonio Perez Priego, Sanne Meijer & Patrice Martin
Efforts were stepped up on 14th January 2019 in Paris by a delegation led by IWWF President Jose Antonio Perez Priego, an IWWF World Cable Wakeboard Champion Sanne Meijer and the President of the French Waterski and Wakeboard Federation, head of the IWWF Olympic Task-Force, and former many time World Waterski Champion Patrice Martin.
Cable Wakeboarding is considered to be a contender for a spot on the short list of additional sports for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, competing with surfing, skateboarding, karate, sport climbing, baseball/softball, pétanque, squash and billiards.
The Paris 2024 Olympics Organising Committee (OCOG) and IOC are looking for sports that fulfil their goal of presenting an extraordinary Games. These sports should be youthful, visually exciting, highly appealing for TV audiences, gender equal, environmentally friendly and can provide legacy facilities for athletes of all abilities and ages.
The Paris 2024 Olympics Organising Committee (OCOG) and IOC are looking for sports that fulfil their goal of presenting an extraordinary Games. These sports should be youthful, visually exciting, highly appealing for TV audiences, gender equal, environmentally friendly and can provide legacy facilities for athletes of all abilities and ages.
“We believe cable wakeboarding is mature, ready, and uniquely qualified to be part of the Games”, said IWWF President Jose Antonio Perez Priego. “It could do for the Summer Olympics what snowboarding did for the Winter Olympics, “It’s inclusion would be a stepping stone for other IWWF disciplines into the Olympics. To succeed, all members of the IWWF and especially the cable wakeboard community must be fully invested in this special opportunity.“
A decision on which sports will be shortlisted will be made in June 2019 during the IOC Session with a final decision on which sports make it into the Paris Olympic Games in December 2020.
The French Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (FFSNW) is already well advanced in preparing for any possible participation in the Olympics. It’s in the final stages of constructing a cable wakeboard park at a perfect location near Paris which will be operational by 2020. The venue will be funded entirely by the FFSNW with cooperation of the IWWF
“We have built a strategic development program within the French Federation so we will have cable wakeboarding in Paris soon,” said Patrice Martin. “The sport is growing like crazy. There are now 1,000 cable wakeboard parks around the world and projections show by 2024 that figure will grow to 1,500.”
In support of the Olympic Quest the IWWF has created a Task-Force which aside from those mentioned above include Gregory Saint-Genies, the Director of the FFSNW and a former winter Olympian, Walter Ditsch, the IWWF Cable Wakeboard Council Chairman, Paul Fong, the Executive Director of the IWWF, and former world waterski champion George Athans who will act as the Chief Strategist and who will be in charge of all presentation materials and video production.
The IWWF requests everyone to support cable wakeboarding by sharing its promotional video above.
A decision on which sports will be shortlisted will be made in June 2019 during the IOC Session with a final decision on which sports make it into the Paris Olympic Games in December 2020.
The French Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (FFSNW) is already well advanced in preparing for any possible participation in the Olympics. It’s in the final stages of constructing a cable wakeboard park at a perfect location near Paris which will be operational by 2020. The venue will be funded entirely by the FFSNW with cooperation of the IWWF
“We have built a strategic development program within the French Federation so we will have cable wakeboarding in Paris soon,” said Patrice Martin. “The sport is growing like crazy. There are now 1,000 cable wakeboard parks around the world and projections show by 2024 that figure will grow to 1,500.”
In support of the Olympic Quest the IWWF has created a Task-Force which aside from those mentioned above include Gregory Saint-Genies, the Director of the FFSNW and a former winter Olympian, Walter Ditsch, the IWWF Cable Wakeboard Council Chairman, Paul Fong, the Executive Director of the IWWF, and former world waterski champion George Athans who will act as the Chief Strategist and who will be in charge of all presentation materials and video production.
The IWWF requests everyone to support cable wakeboarding by sharing its promotional video above.
Social Media & Other Important Links:
IWWF’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iwwfed/
IWWF’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IWWFED
IWWF’s Website: IWWF
Courtesy IWWF
