At 13:40 IOC’s president Jacques Rogge announced that golf and rugby sevens will have the status of an Olympic sport from 2016.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) elected golf by an 63-27 vote and rugby by an 81-8 vote. Rugby was on the programme still in 1924 while golf has not been an Olympic discipline since 1904.

Previously the IOC has decided that a maximum of 28 disciplines could be included at the Olympic Games.

At the Olympic Games in Beijing, there were 28 disciplines, but as baseball and softball were taken off the programme for the 2012 London Games, the programme is now down to 26 disciplines.

The board of the International Olympic Committee nominated golf and rugby sevens as new Olympic disciplines in August in Berlin. Golf and rugby were nominated at the expense of squash, roller skate sports, baseball, softball and karate which were also up for candidate.

Information about becoming an Olympic discipline can be found on IOC’s website:
http://www.olympic.org/en/content/Sports/