Sport remains as Category B, alongside basketball, football, tennis and volleyball
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed that cycling is to retain its status as a ‘Category B’ sport for the Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Games in 2016, keeping it alongside basketball, football (soccer), tennis and volleyball, the International Cycling Union (UCI) reports. This means that it will continue to hold higher prestige, and take a larger share of Olympic revenue, than many other sports; that figure amounted to $22 million from London 2012.
“This is a real boost to our sport worldwide,” said UCI President Pat McQuaid, an IOC member, who was recently re-elected to the board of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF).
“Cycling is one of the few sports to have been present at every edition of the summer Olympic Games, and this is further proof that it is now more popular than ever,” he added.
A sport’s category is judged using six criteria, ranging from TV audiences (which accounts for 40%), internet page views (20%), general popularity (15%), spectator ticket requests (10%), press coverage (10%) and the number of national federations involved at Olympic level.
Cycling events at the Olympic Games include the four disciplines of road, track, mountain bike and BMX. Only track and field athletics, swimming and gymnastics hold the higher ‘Category A’ status.