The news fell this morning, February 21st. Karate is not included in the list of additional sports presented to the IOC by the Organizing Committee of Paris 2024 (OCOG). The Olympic adventure ends before it starts ! A very hard blow lived as a betrayal of the Olympic spirit. A total surprise and injustice for many, especially by announcing it before the Tokyo Games. Analysis and reactions of Da Costa, Philippe, Uygur, Horne, Horuna, Thomas ...
By Ludovic Mauchien / Photo : Kphotos
It's an earthquake, what do I say, a cataclysm that has just fallen on Karate. A sledgehammer, a stab wound in the back, a cut as few have ever experienced ! To kill a sport, we would not do it otherwise ! Would Karate be the unloved of Olympism ? Of course, paranoia and conspiracy theory do not have to be, but the timing, the methodology and the choices put forward by the Paris 2024 and the IOC questioned.
To summarize, on February 21st (today), the OCOG had to officially announce its list of additional sports for Paris 2024. In June, the IOC had to validate it (or not) then, in December 2020, after the Tokyo Olympics, this same CIO had to formalize these « new » sports.
Two options then came up for the OCOG : to give a broad list of 8 or 9 sports, giving the chance to those chosen for Tokyo to show off their strengths and, in a way, to pass on the political baby to the IOC for the final choice. 2nd option : propose a tight and quasi-final list.
Tony Estanguet and his team chose the 2nd option. They proposed climbing, skateboarding and surfing, already present in 2020, and breakdance. In its official press released titled « Paris 2024 : a revolutionary experience », the OCOG explains its choice : « Paris 2024 proposes the integration of 4 new sports, with youth, creativity at the service of performance, the spectacular dimension and the inclusion as common denominators.
Paris 2024 embodies its ambition to offer unique Games : accessible, popular, coming out of the stadiums and coming to meet the public, Games that offer a participative and inclusive dimension previously never seen. [...] (A choice) guided by three main principles : (1) Sustainable and responsible Games, with sports offering a limited number of athletes and requiring no permanent construction. (2) Games connected with their time, which inspire new audiences and attract the younger generation, with sports that are shared on social networks, which are means of expression and lifestyle, and are practiced everywhere, in town as in nature. (3) Games reflecting the Paris 2024 identity, in other words, spectacular, creating bridges with culture and inviting to engagement, accessible, inclusive, practicable outside the stadiums and appealing to creativity ».
Everyone has the freedom to think what he wants but, obviously, Karate does meet these criteria in the spirit of the OCOG 2024. Difficult for the moment to know the real ins and outs. It's even misunderstanding for many. Received mid-January by Jean-Philippe Gatien, the Paris 2024’s director of sports, the representatives of the French federation left reassured and confident. « We filled all the fields », says today the National technical director, Dominique Charre (see also his interview). « We have 150,000 young people. We are present everywhere on the territory. We win medals, the athletes are at the heart of the project ... I am shocked ! I was not excpecting that at all ! ».
Several arguments can be advanced to explain this choice. For the outsiders of combat sports, so the vast majority of people, Karate and Taekwondo, present since 2000, are the same thing. But, above all, the ambition (and the obligation) of Thomas Bach, the IOC President, to rejuvenate the Games and (re) develop their appeal to young people, logically favors the arrival of skateboarding and breakdance.
An enhanced reflection at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) last year, where breakdance was a hit (quality of the organization of the tournament, great show and public), karate much less. Another criterion could also play : the number of athletes. In Tokyo, additional sports do not fit in the quota (10,500), in Paris, yes. The breakdance will have 32 participants, Karate 100.
In the OCOG press release, Tony Estanguet motivates the choice of these 4 sports : « From the beginning, we have the will to propose Games that mark the spirits, which surprise. We have chosen 4 spectacular sports, resolutely turned towards youth, with a strong creative dimension and which are fully in line with our vision. We are convinced that breakdance, climbing, skateboarding and surf will help strengthen our project ».
But, far beyond the choice, it is the calendar that shocks. The world of karate has been in turmoil since 2016. The kids were dreaming. The champions of any country redoubled their efforts in training to live an exceptional moment. The federations have invested, sometimes even in debt, to shine at the Olympics. The mechanics began to snap, sponsors, without jostling for the time, scrutinized karate more closely. The stop is brutal. It is especially cruel for athletes. Even before they live their dream, it has already died out.
Quotes
Steven Da Costa (France), 22, 2018 World champion
« I fell from up there ! It's like I've learned somebody’s death. It's a total misunderstanding. It's demotivating, demoralizing ... I do not even have the words to describe what I feel. I have a true feeling of injustice !
In addition, it is in Paris, France, that refuses us, while the French Karate is part of the top nations. We are in the top 3 on almost all competitions. I do not understand !
We are 250,000 licensees. We want young people in 2024. We have more than 120,000 youth licensees, 5,000 clubs, in all cities, neighborhoods, everywhere. Really, it's a total misunderstanding !
I do not denigrate any sport, I respect any athlete of any discipline but to be replaced by breakdance which has 6000 licensees, someone has to explain to me !
We do not even have the chance to prove how beautiful our sport is. We go in 2020 to leave behind. We do not even go from shadow to light. We go from light to shadow.
It will change a lot of things. This will disgust a pair of people. And that changes all the projects. I will fight for 2020 and I will do everything to become Olympic champion in Tokyo. Behind, I do not know what will happen. I do not know what goal I will have after. Everything is changed ».
Burak Uygur (Turkey), 23, two-times European champion
« Unfortunately, I just heard it. I'm shocked. This is a big surprise for me, because I thought that « France is a country of karate. The French really like this sport and they have success in karate. Karate will definitely be in Paris in 2024 ». But I see now that I'm wrong, it's a bad news for all the karate world and the karate lovers ».
Jordan Thomas (England), 26, 2016 World Champion
« 2020 is the goal and it is very hard to look past this Olympic cycle. We want karate to be an Olympic Sport permanently and I think Tokyo can only bring positive and progression to our sport to then be in contention to go back into the Games ».
Jonathan Horne (Germany), 30, 2018 World champion
« Well, I am very sad that our sport will not have the opportunity to be an Olympic sport in the future. It's not fair that karate is the only combat sport that is not an Olympic sport. We are one of the biggest and best organized sport from all of them. I wish we will be able to come back and show in 2020 to the IOC and to the world that Karate is an interesting and beautiful sport ».
Stanislav Horuna (Ukraine), 29, European and World multi-medalist
« I am deeply disappointed. That's a shame that such a wonderful, intelligent, complete and dynamic sport won’t be in the Olympic program anymore. Karate is a sport that surpasses many other Olympic sports by its spectacular side and technical requirements. It is well deserved to be at the Olympic Games according to all the criteria ».
Gwendoline Philippe (France), 19, Junior and U21 World champion
« At first, I am very surprised... Because each of us saw Karate at the Olympic Games in 2024... And I am quite disappointed inevitably. Living this experience must be extraordinary, so living it at home is even more so ! In addition, I would have been just 25 years old, it's like the golden age in karate. Disappointed because I think that our sport conveys beautiful values. Now, my goal has always been and is even more the 2020 Olympics. I had been told too young to hope to participate. Today, I'm in the running and, with hard work and perseverance, I intend to qualify and win gold in Tokyo. Paris 2024 was a goal of course, but only in second ».
Amir Mehdizadeh (Iran), 29, 2014 World champion
« Actually I am shocked, because karate is a complete sport and so many countries practice karate. I think Olympic Games will miss karate, it’s not karate that will miss the Games ! »
Thomas Scott (USA), 28, multi Panamerican medalist
« This is a disappointing news indeed. I think there is still a chance Karate can be included and I hope this is the case. France would have a very strong chance at medals in 2024. It’s possible we can make the inclusion list. Let’s hope for the best ».
