Did you know that the first Olympic BMX Cycling competition started today? We didn’t get the memo that the grand old games were merging with the X Games, but we’re down with getting a medal off a sport invented while dudes were baked. But the question here is what new sports (like trampoline?) are going to make it to the 2016 games, whose final slate of sports or site haven’t been picked. The International Olympic Committee is going to hear the pitches soon from the governing bodies of sports like golf, squash, rugby, karate, baseball, softball and rollersports, and pick up to two new sports. Baseball is also getting a big push since America’s pastime was booted out of the 2012 London games—although, Cuba’s ironically probably saddest about that exclusion. But the question in beisbol and golf is whether the top players are willing to commit to the event.

“I think (Spanish golfer) Sergio Garcia will have noticed the tear in Rafael Nadal’s eye at the tennis medals ceremony the other day,” International Golf Federation’s Head of Programme Ty Votaw told reporters. “I think the players will support golf for 2016.”

While we’re sure Tiger and Phil would show up for the US, we’re not so sure we’d want to send our pro baseball players. Not only would the steroid thing get in the way, but the in-season logistics would be a nightmare. Besides, if the season keeps going, that means more Dominicans, Cubans, Mexicans and Puerto Ricans aren’t playing on their national teams, which would give us whatever minute edge we might have in the sport during the Olympics.

New Sports Pledge Attractions for Spot in Games [Javno]
Image [genesbmx.com]