Sports popular on the Island 鈥� surfing in Tofino and the many climbing walls in Greater Victoria 鈥� could begin producing Olympic medallists. The two sports have been proposed for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games and many of the best in sa国际传媒 live and train on the Island.
Also proposed for inclusion for Tokyo 2020 are skateboarding, both street and park, karate and the re-introduction of men鈥檚 baseball and women鈥檚 softball.
The proposal will be voted on as a package by the International Olympic Committee on the eve of the 2016 Rio Olympics opening ceremony Aug. 5.
Many of sa国际传媒鈥檚 best surfers were born and raised in Tofino, including Peter Devries, Noah Cohen, Mike Darling and 13-year-old sensation Mathea Olin.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting,鈥� Devries said. 鈥淭he Olympics are growing with the times and are responding to the activities that people are doing in their lives and enjoying. It鈥檚 a common sense thing when you see the amount of people involved in these activities. It鈥檚 ridiculous not to include them in the Olympics.鈥�
Devries admitted some in surfing want to keep the waves to themselves. 鈥淭hey want to see the sport grow but not too fast,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I view this as a really good thing. If the opportunity came, I would love to represent sa国际传媒 in the Olympics.鈥�
Meanwhile, many of the athletes who competed in the 2013 world youth climbing championships at Boulders Gym in Central Saanich could be Olympians in Tokyo. Some of sa国际传媒鈥檚 best climbers train at Boulders, including Alison and Robert Stewart-Patterson and Elan Jonas-McRae.
The Island also had a significant connection to baseball in the Olympics before it was discontinued following the 2008 Beijing Games. Blue Jays left-fielder Michael Saunders of Victoria had eight hits, two homers, four RBIs and five runs scored in seven games to help lead sa国际传媒 to sixth place at the Beijing Olympics. Pitcher Chris Mears of Victoria and slugger Jeff Guiel of Nanaimo helped sa国际传媒 take Cuba to the wire in the semifinals of the 2004 Athens Olympics before losing to Japan in the bronze-medal game.
Victoria HarbourCats president Jim Swanson, who has extensive experience with Canadian baseball teams in international tournaments, said the three consecutive Summer Games in the non-baseball cultures of Athens, Beijing and London killed the diamond sport鈥檚 momentum in the Olympics.
鈥淏ut how do you not have baseball in the Olympics in Japan?鈥� asked Swanson.
It鈥檚 about time it returned, he said. 鈥淏aseball is a recognized world sport. There should be a way to include it.鈥�
International play adds an essential element to any sport. 鈥淲hen you play for your flag, it means everything. It鈥檚 a whole other level of emotion,鈥� said Swanson.
