There are a number of new sports, classes, and segments being added to the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo next year, and if the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme has its way, Trial-E will be added to the Parisian Olympic Games in 2024. Riding up a rocky hill on an electric bike takes a lot of skill and strength, but is it worthy of being the first Olympic sport not propelled by gravity, wind, horse, or human power since motorboating was part of the 1908 Olympic Games?
In order to be considered by the International Olympic Committee, any new “game” must be youth-focused, accessibly to men and women alike, sustainable, a spectacle to behold, able to be practiced on all continents, and requiring no new infrastructure. While Trial-E will be competing with many other sports for inclusion, it seems to me like it hits on all of those marks without issue.
Jorge Viegas, FIM president, says “We are convinced that the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 represent a unique and historic opportunity to allow Trial-E to become the first motorsport discipline to be part of the Olympic Games. This great première will be the foundation for a strong relationship that will bring the FIM, the IOC and all the Olympic family closer together for many years to come.”
It is my opinion that this would make an excellent addition to the Olympic Games, and I’d certainly tune in to watch this one play out. Trials riding is incredibly physically demanding, regardless of the bike providing propulsion. Navigating a rocky mountain face would be an incredible spectacle that should be rewarded with a small piece of gold on a lanyard.
The official announcement of inclusion or exclusion will not be made until after the close of the 2020 Olympic Games, so you have a little over five years to start preparing for an Olympic berth. Charge up your eBike and hit the trails.
Leave a Reply
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
