The future of the Olympic programme and the revision of results from previous editions shared the agenda at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board meeting in Dakar. On 30 October, the organisation agreed that its Session would determine the sports and disciplines for the Utah 2034 Olympic Winter Games in 2028. It also approved the reallocation of diplomas from Beijing 2022 and Paris 2024 following the disqualification of two competitors for doping.
The decision on Utah 2034 will allow the application of the new Olympic programme methodology linked to Fit for the Future, the reform process introduced under President Kirsty Coventry. The IOC says the revised timeline will support a more robust assessment to shape a relevant, flexible and sustainable programme. The Executive Board has not approved the addition or removal of any sport or discipline: it has established when the programme’s composition must be decided.
A new timetable for assessing winter sports
The change gives international federations a clear reference point for preparing their proposals and contributing to the development of the Games. Its significance extends beyond setting a date: it places programme development within a broader, more collaborative evaluation process, with the methodology introduced in June 2026. Winter sports now enter a period in which they will need to explain how their disciplines contribute to the athlete experience, audience interest and organisational requirements.
The organising committee has welcomed the updated timeline. Darren Hughes, Vice President of Games Delivery, highlighted the opportunity to work with the IOC and international winter sports federations to adapt the programme to the evolving sporting landscape and improve the experience for participants and fans. That collaboration will need to produce concrete proposals before the 2028 decision. The agreement concerns Utah 2034 and does not itself modify the Brisbane 2032 programme, although it forms part of a broader review of how the Olympic programme is shaped.
The Valieva case changes Beijing 2022 diploma allocations
The same meeting addressed the consequences of anti-doping proceedings that have become final. In the Beijing 2022 women’s individual figure skating competition, the disqualification of Kamila Valieva, who originally finished fourth, required the standings to be revised. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) imposed a four-year suspension on the Russian skater on 29 January 2024 and disqualified her results from 25 December 2021. The Swiss Federal Tribunal dismissed the appeal against that decision on 5 September 2024.
Under the standings revised by the International Skating Union (ISU), Japan’s Wakaba Higuchi moves into fourth place; South Korea’s Young You into fifth; the United States’ Alysa Liu into sixth; Belgium’s Loena Hendrickx into seventh; and South Korea’s Yelim Kim into eighth. All will receive the corresponding diplomas. The decision affects the diploma positions in the women’s individual competition, in which Valieva finished outside the podium places.
The Paris marathon standings also change
At Paris 2024, the disqualification of Romania’s Delvine Relin Meringor, who finished seventh in the women’s marathon, has prompted another revision. World Athletics updated the results following a decision issued by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya on 25 March 2025. These proceedings are separate from the Valieva case: the decision became final because no appeal was filed.
Uganda’s Stella Chesang moves into seventh place and Israel’s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter into eighth. Both will receive their Olympic diplomas, while the lower positions have also been updated. The IOC approved the reallocation after the proceedings had concluded and with no identified anti-doping impediments affecting the recipients.
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