After all the worries and stress from the UCI’s application error, we are pleased to confirm that Para-cycling WILL be on the program for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics! Hoorah!
The Final Decision
Para-cycling has had a warning and a reprieve after the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) announced it could be in with a chance of not being one of the chosen sports to make up the program. Being one of eight sports up for review was a punishment for cycling’s world governing body, UCI.
Para-cycling is lucky to have made the cut after the IPC only filled 22 places out of a possible 23, including badminton and taekwondo making the cut for the first time. Sadly, some sports such as seven-a-side football and sailing missed out on their spot in the games.
UCI to Clean up Their Act
Athletes and press have been expressing frustration with cycling in the Games for a long time and the ultimate responsibility of this falls down to the UCI. The IPC may have added para-cycling to the bill for 2020 but they did express some strong concerns regarding the sustainability of the track cycling discipline. The actual medal events programme for Tokyo 2020 will not be confirmed until 2017 and the IPC has encouraged the UCI to work towards improving and increasing the number of high-performance track cyclists and the amount of opportunities for them to compete on an international scale.
What Does it Mean for the Future?
The reservations also stem from the cost of building Velodromes, which could also cause implications for the Olympic Games if track sports are left out of the Paralympic bill. It would have been an unpopular decision if the IPC were to have left para-cycling out of the games this year but an understandable decision in regards to the UCI’s application mishap.
The Positives
After the London 2012 Olympics record numbers of cyclists are biking their way around the capital. Cycling levels are recorded to be 10% higher in the three months to December than in the same quarter in 2013 according to TfL (Transport for London). By the end of this year TfL has forecasted a 12% rise from the previous financial year. Even on 25th December 2014 around 40,000 cycle hire journeys were made in London beating the year before by an amazing 41%.
Outside the Games
The inclusion of Para-cycling spans far further than just the games. Cycling has boomed in the UK since the success in the Olympic Games 2012 and it would be great to see the popularity spread across the globe. Here at Cycle Shelters Direct2U we have seen a large increase in employers encouraging their staff to cycle by providing them with safe cycle storage and peace of mind that their healthy habits are catered for and recognised.