Parkour Earth urges IOC to reject application for the sport’s inclusion at the Paris Olympics
Parkour Earth, the global governing body for parkour, has called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to reject an application from the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) to include the sport at the 2024 Paris Games.
Parkour Earth, which says it is the International Federation for the sport, has written to the IOC Executive Board urging it to turn down the proposal from the FIG when it decides the program for the 2024 Olympics next Monday (7th December).
The group which has repeatedly accused the FIG of trying to take over the sport, claims the FIG has been guilty of "encroachment and misappropriation" of the discipline.
However, the FIG - which claims parkour is a "natural fit" for gymnastics - has continued to ignore the complaints from Parkour Earth and is set to include the sport as part of its proposed slate of events for the Paris Olympics.
The FIG is also planning to organise a Parkour World Championships in March next year and has held Parkour World Cups after voting to officially include it as a new gymnastics discipline at its Congress in December 2018.
In its correspondence with the IOC, Parkour Earth writes "our communications with FIG to date have clearly outlined our significant and legitimate concerns.
"Unfortunately, FIG's encroachment and misappropriation of our sport continues.
"As this situation is still currently unresolved, by way of this letter we wish to formally petition the IOC to reject any submission by the FIG to include parkour on the Olympic program."
The FIG's attempt to include parkour at Paris 2024 could fail as the IOC has signalled its opposition to adding sports which would increase the number of athletes.
Beach handball, coastal rowing and an eliminator triathlon race are among the events being proposed by Federations for inclusion at Paris 2024.
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