FIA gains official recognition from International Olympic Committee

Filed under: Motorsports



There's plenty of racing that takes place at the Olympics, so don't let anyone tell you otherwise. There's running, cycling, sailing, speed skating, luge, bobsledding and skiing. The thing is, none of these sports are mechanically powered, so motorsports are decidedly excluded from the highest-profile sporting event in the world.

It wasn't always that way, though. The 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, France, included both car and motorcycle racing, but only as demonstration events that did not return. That may or may not change in the future, but one step has been taken closer as the FIA - the body which governs most forms of motor racing around the world - has been officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

The recognition is provisional for two years, and it encourages the FIA to abide by the principles embodied by the Olympics and the establishment of an Athlete's Commission.

Of course, even if the IOC gives the FIA permanent recognition, that doesn't mean we'll be seeing auto racing at the Olympics any time soon: the Committee already officially recognizes a number of sporting bodies, sanctioning everything from motorcycle and powerboat racing to chess, bowling and billiards. Follow the jump for the official statement.Continue reading FIA gains official recognition from International Olympic Committee

FIA gains official recognition from International Olympic Committee originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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