The decision took in May 2012, to include Kitesurfing in the Olympic Games of 2016 replacing windsurf, has been changed: Windsurf is back to Olympic Games 2016.
In fact, the Annual General Meeting of the International Sailing Federation approved the decision to keep windsurfing in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with more than 50% of the votes.
In one day, the hopes of kiteboarders changed dramatically, as it was feared in the International Kiteboarding Association headquarters.
In the morning of the 9th November, kitesurfing was in the Olympic Games, now it is no longer, replaced by Windsurfing.
This means that the Rio 2016 Olympic Games set for Brazil will have Men’s RS:X and Women’s RS:X competitions.
Both the International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) and International Windsurfing Association (IWA) did not answer any questions before the ISAF decision.
During the entire year of 2012, it was clear that IKA and IWA could not communicate efficiently with each other. Cooperative actions were never seen and both wind sports wanted radical changes or conservative approaches, depending on the side.
Windsurfing has been part of the Summer Olympics since 1984 for Men (Dutch windsurfer Stephan van den Berg was the first windsurfer to win a gold medal) and 1992 for Women. The RS:X class by NeilPryde was introduced in the Olympic movement in Beijing 2008, with the One Design board concept.
The sailing events for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games are:
Men’s RS:X
Women’s RS:X
Men’s One Person Dinghy – Laser
Women’s One Person Dinghy – Laser Radial
Men’s One Person Dinghy (heavy) – Finn
Men’s Two Person Dinghy – 470
Women’s Two Person Dinghy – 470
Men’s Skiff – 49er
Women’s Skiff – 49er FX
Mixed Two Person Multihull – Nacra 17