Last week at the World Championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland there was talk by cycling’s governing body that the Olympic track cycling program would get face lift for London in 2012. The International Cycling Union’s aim for the changes was to create “gender parity” within the discipline of track cycling. There are currently 10 track cycling finals at the Olympics, of which, women contend in just three, while the men compete in seven.
L’Equipe reported today that the UCI has decided on running only five disciplines for the 2012 games. In the report it listed that both men and women would contest: the sprint, the team sprint, the Keirin, the team Pursuit, and the omnium. This means that the individual pursuit races, the points races, and the men’s Madison will be dropped.
UCI President Pat McQuaid said last week that it was now time to redress the balance so the men and women can both compete in five events. He acknowledged that the change would mean dropping some races.
“We have made requests to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to have new women’s events at the Games to redress the balance,” McQuaid said last Saturday.
“We have been told we can have them, but only at the expense at men’s events.”
If the report in L’Equipe is correct, it means that Brits Bradley Wiggins and Rebecca Romero would be unable to defend their gold medals, as well as Marianne Vos (Netherlands) and Joan Llaneras (Spain) who both took gold in the points race, and Juan Esteban Curuchet & Walter Fernando Perez (Argentina) who won gold in the Madison.