Kite · Windsurf · Bow & safety
2012
Into the Olympics, and out again
In May the sailing federation votes to replace windsurfing with kiteboarding at the Rio 2016 Olympics; in November it reverses the decision.
19–17votes
ISAF Council, May 2012: kiteboarding instead of windsurfing for Rio 2016
Four years after kiteboarding became a sailing class, it nearly took windsurfing’s place at the Olympic Games. In May 2012 the Council of the sailing federation ISAF voted 19 to 17 to drop the RS:X windsurfer from the Rio 2016 programme and bring in kiteboarding. Its own Events Committee had advised against the change, 17 to 2.
At the annual conference in Dún Laoghaire, near Dublin, in November, the question came back. Spain and others said language difficulties and confusion had led them to vote for kiteboarding by mistake. Britain’s federation pointed to its youth pathway and some 10,000 windsurfing members.
A proposal in the Council to reopen the decision got 26 of 38 votes, short of the 75 percent it needed. The General Assembly of member nations then voted, 51 to 40, to reinstate the RS:X for men and women. On 10 November 2012 the decision was reversed, although it had already been partly implemented.
Windsurfing stayed in Rio. Kiteboarding had to wait until the Paris 2024 Games for its Olympic debut.