UCI President Hopes to Bring XCC Short Track to the Olympics

UCI President David Lappartient has suggested that one day he hopes that XCC Short Track could become an Olympic Sport.

While speaking to Inside the Games David Lappartient talks about how the UCI is looking to further add to its already long list of Olympic disciplines. Currently, the Olympics is reluctant to add new sports if it would lead to a growing number of athletes needing to attend the games, but the UCI President believes this could leave space for more cycling events.

In his interview with Inside the Games David Lappartient brings up the possibility of adding Short Track, team time trial mixed relay and BMX flatland. XCC Short Track would definitely be possible to run without any need for extra riders to be sent over by competing countries as we have seen in past years with the XC World Cups.

"We apply maybe to have BMX flatland, to have team time trial mixed relay, to have mountain bike short track, and for these last two disciplines you do not need extra quotas for this... but the first thing for us is to keep the five Olympic disciplines we have."

David Lappartient is clear that any new events must not remove any current disciplines in the games and that maintaining the events in the games at the moment is the first priority for the UCI. In the same interview, he also brings up the possibility of an e-cycling medal as this would need no additional athletes as well.

"After if we could have one of the others that could be nice, and also one day why not have also one e-cycling medal, because we can use the same quotas, no extra athletes, and that could also be important for us, but not instead of the existing disciplines, which is key for us."

It sounds like it may never be possible to see downhill feature in the Olympics but we may get additional representation for mountain biking if the UCI President gets his way although any changes couldn't happen until at least the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.