"Fit for the Future": New Olympic programme methodology approved to shape more relevant, flexible and sustainable Olympic Games

With this decision, the IOC takes a further step towards ensuring that future Olympic Games remain appealing, relevant and sustainable.

The new methodology will be applied for the first time to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games and will guide the development of future Olympic programmes thereafter. Given the advanced stage of planning for Brisbane, some flexibility in implementation may be required. The framework will not apply to the Alpes 2030 Olympic Winter Games.

The IOC Session’s decision followed a proposal from the IOC Executive Board, which was based on a recommendation made by the Olympic Programme Working Group (OPWG), established as part of the IOC Fit for the Future process.

Discipline-based approach at the core

At the heart of the new system is a shift towards evaluating the Olympic programme at discipline level, reflecting the direct impact disciplines have on venue requirements, operational delivery and overall cost at the Games.

For this purpose, the definition is as follows:

An Olympic discipline is one or more events within a sport that require either a dedicated field of play or a significant modification of a shared field of play with another Olympic discipline, generally involving a separate group of athletes.

Two pathways will structure the programme review process:

• Incumbent disciplines, already included in an Olympic Games and referenced in the Host Contract of the Games under review;
• Candidate disciplines, which are not part of that edition’s programme.

A three-stage evaluation framework

The methodology introduces a consistent and structured evaluation framework.

1.  All disciplines will undergo an initial screening focused on governance, integrity, anti-doping compliance and athlete safeguarding.

2.  Disciplines will then be assessed against core criteria:

• global appeal;
• cost and operational complexity;
• athlete representation.

3.   A final comparative assessment will evaluate high-performing candidate disciplines against lower-performing incumbent disciplines. To ensure a fair and robust comparison, information will be collected to address differences in data availability between those disciplines that have not appeared at the Games, with each discipline clearly profiled. This final process will be delivered in collaboration with the IFs.

Disciplines that are not retained will remain eligible for future inclusion through the candidate pathway, ensuring continued opportunities for development and re-entry.

Transparent timelines

The new methodology also introduces a clearer decision-making timeline:

• Seven years before the Games: the core programme of sports and disciplines will be confirmed in principle, or at the Session electing the host, whichever happens later.
• After the preceding edition of the Games: the final events programme and athlete quota will be determined by the IOC Executive Board

Additional disciplines from the Organising Committee

The IOC Session also approved a new framework concerning the disciplines which can be proposed by the Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (OCOG).

Under this new framework, OCOGs will be able to:

• propose a maximum of four additional disciplines for Summer Games and two for Winter Games. This would ensure flexibility for hosts and IFs while maintaining control over the scale and sustainability of the Games. 
• select from Recognised IFs that are either new to the Olympic programme or govern disciplines within sports already included in the programme – subject to defined limits and full cost responsibility.

This OCOG process will take place approximately five years prior to the opening of the Olympic Games concerned and would ensure flexibility for hosts while maintaining control over the scale and sustainability of the Games.