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McQuaid: UCI aims for Olympic gender equality
Women track cyclists could be among the biggest winners at the London Olympics after the UCI said it has the goal of ensuring "gender parity" at the 2012 Games.
There are currently, there are 10 track cycling events contested at the Olympics. But while men compete in seven competitions, the women get to contest just three: the sprint, the individual pursuit and the points race.
UCI president Pat McQuaid said it is now time to redress the balance so the men and women compete in five events each, acknowledging that the move will mean losing some men's disciplines.
"We have made requests to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to have new women's events at the Games to redress the balance," McQuaid at the world road championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland, Saturday. "We have been told we can have them, but only at the expense at men's events."
McQuaid would not be drawn on which disciplines are to be scrapped. The final decision is expected in December.
The UCI has already said it is keen to promote the men's and women's Omnium, a five-event discipline which has been raced at recent world championships but has not appeared at the Olympics.
It is also believed the UCI is keen to promote the women's keirin, which has proved a success at the world track cycling championships in recent years.
Whichever decisions are made, there are likely to be detractors.
After the Athens Games in 2004, the men's kilometer and women's 500 meter time trial was scrapped from the Games program, not to make way for new track events but to allow BMX into the Olympics.
Britain's Chris Hoy, the Olympic kilo champion in 2004, was among the first to complain - only to later admit the decision forced him to concentrate his talents on the speed events of the sprint and the keirin.
In Beijing, Hoy won gold in the sprint, the keirin and the team sprint to help Britain to seven golds from the 10 finals.
Britain's chief of cycling Dave Brailsford said he would support any decision if it meant fairness between the sexes.
"It would be sad to lose a classic event like the Madison... but if it brings gender parity I would be pleased," he said.
If the team sprint and keirin were to be introduced at the London Games, it would prove a huge boost for Brailsford, and Britain's reigning sprint champion Victoria Pendleton.
In Beijing the men raced seven finals in the individual and team sprint, the individual and team pursuit, the points race, Madison and keirin.
