Windsurfing will return for 2016 Games
Sat Nov 10, 7:24 PM UTC
LONDON — Windsurfing has reclaimed its place in the Olympic program after the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) voted on Saturday to reinstate it at the expense of kiteboarding.
The ISAF decided to retain men's and women's windsurfing at the governing body's annual general meeting in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland.
The vote reversed the organisation's surprise move in May to drop windsurfing in favour of kiteboarding at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The ISAF at the time described the move as a "fantastic addition" but windsurfing federations vowed to pressure sailing chiefs to reinstate the discipline.
Israel's sailing chief Yehuda Maayan told Reuters that, in voting for kiteboarding, delegates had probably been confused or did not understand the motion because of language difficulties.
The Spanish Sailing Federation has since acknowledged that its representative voted for kiteboarding by mistake.
(Writing by Stephen Wood; editing by Tony Jimenez)
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