SOCHI 2014: British bulldog Jones cleared to make Olympic debut

By Sportsbeat staff

GREAT Britain's Jenny Jones could make her Olympic debut in Sochi after snowboard slopestyle was confirmed on the schedule for the next Winter Games.

IN: Snowboarder Jenny Jones, a three-time X Games champion, could now make her Olympic debut after slopestyle was confirmed as an Olympic sport (Getty Images)

Jones, a three-time X-Games champion, will immediately be installed as one of Team GB's best medal hopes after the International Olympic Committee decided the sport warranted inclusion.

“I think it is exciting that slopestyle has made it into the 2014 Olympics," said Jones.

"To potentially represent my country would be an awesome experience and I feel we have a really good team of British riders. The Olympics is a great platform to share the sport with the world and hopefully encourage British snowboarders of the future.”

British Olympic Association chief executive Andy Hunt also welcomed the new inclusions to the winter Games programme and believes next year's Youth Olympics in Innsbruck, which will feature many of the new events, could be a key trial.

“This is really exciting news for Team GB and the Winter Olympics," he said.

"Having witnessed first-hand the huge interest generated by the high speed action of the ski-cross event in Vancouver last year, I am sure that the race format of the slopestyle and snowboard parallel special slalom events will increase the youth appeal and spectacle of the Olympic Winter Games."

President Jacques Rogge had given fans of the slopestyle discipline an anxious wait after ruling earlier this year that he wanted further investigations into the sport's claims.

But the International Olympic Committee's executive board, meeting in Durban ahead of the host city election for the 2018 Winter Olympics, confirmed its inclusion, along with ski slopestyle and snowboard parallel special slalom.

“We are very pleased with the addition of ski and snowboard slopestyle and snowboard special slalom in the Olympic Winter Games programme,” said Rogge.

“Such events provide great entertainment for the spectators and add further youthful appeal to our already action-packed lineup of Olympic winter sports. We look forward to welcoming all the athletes to Sochi in 2014.”

Meanwhile climbing, wakeboarding and wushu, a Chinese-dominated style of martial arts, all could make their debuts at the 2020 summer Olympics.

The sports will join baseball, karate, roller sports, softball and squash - who all unsuccessfully bid for a place in the 2016 Rio Games - in a battle to be included on the schedule in nine years.

IOC officials finalised the candidate sports following a detailed analysis of their respective world championships and the final decision will now rest with the full membership when they meet in Buenos Aires in 2013, a gathering that will also decided the host city, with Rome and Toyko the early frontrunners.

Rugby sevens and golf were both added to the Rio Olympic programme in Copenhagen last year, taking the number of sports in the Games back to 28, meaning one sport would need to drop off the schedule to see any of the above included.