have placed them fourth on the overall medals table.But the

TOKYO -- Five sports, including surfing and skateboarding, moved a step closer to being included in the Tokyo 2020 Games after being described as a dynamic and exciting package by the IOC.Skateboarding, surfing, karate, sports climbing and baseball/softball were all recommended for inclusion by the IOC. An Olympic program commission report released on Friday said the five are a blend of the traditional and emerging, youth-focused events, and all have international and local appeal.The IOC will make the final decision on the five sports in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 3, two days before the opening ceremony of the 2016 Games.In assessing the case for inclusion, the commission considered gender equality, youth appeal and their legacy value.The inclusion of the new sports would add 18 events and 474 athletes, with equal numbers of women and men for all sports except baseball/softball, because softball teams have 15 players, whilst baseball teams have 24.The report said the new sports in Tokyo would not threaten the inclusion of existing Olympic sports or be binding on future host cities.Baseball and softball, which are making a combined bid to return, were dropped after the 2008 Beijing Games. Their hopes for inclusion are boosted by their popularity in Japan. Blake Snell Rays Jersey . 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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The U.S. Olympic Committee and the sports it oversees are behind the curve when it comes to placing women and minorities in key coaching and leadership positions, according to a set of scorecards the federation has released that chart progress over the past three years.The USOC itself is 24 percent or more behind benchmarks it set for hiring people of color on its roster of professional staff, administrative support and executive and senior-level management positions.The federations for swimming and gymnastics, two sports that brought home 45 of the countrys 121 medals from the Rio de Janeiro Games, have similar shortfalls.USA Swimming has no people of color on its board of directors and falls nearly 78 percent short of the USOC-established benchmark for hiring minorities on its professional staff. USA Gymnastics has a similar shortfall on its staff for minorities but far exceeds the benchmark goals in the number of women at key positions in the organization.USA Swimming executive director Chuck Wielgus said the organization prides itself on being welcoming and inclusive.Weve come a long way, Wielgus said, and were our own harshest critics when we recognize there is still more we can achieve to make the experience even better for our current members and those who are looking to join team swimming.By law, the USOC collects diversity data every year. The numbers from 2013-15 have been published on the USOC website due to a push by the federations CEO, Scott Blackmun, to confront the issue.If we measure it, and shine a light on it, we will get better, Blackmun said in his address to the U.S. Olympic Assembly.He said improving the numbers is a mission to undertake because its effective, not just fair.ddddddddddddHe pointed out the success Title IX has had in bringing women to the fore of American sports, especially at the Olympic level. Women accounted for 61 of Americas medals in Rio, which would have placed them fourth on the overall medals table.But the fixes Blackmun is calling for arent all easy, nor are the standards the USOC has set considered a consensus.The benchmark numbers the USOC set were based on its own math -- a combination of census figures, NCAA data and the particulars of each sport. For instance, while USA Gymnastics numbers lag in administrative positions, the sports audience and participation has likely been broadened because the past two Olympic all-around womens champions, Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas, are African-Americans.There are areas where we can see USA Gymnastics as having a high level of inclusiveness and diversity, said the federations president, Steve Penny. And there are areas we can focus on, such as the areas the USOC is measuring, where we need to determine what steps we can take to encourage more participation.USA Track and Field is among the organizations with a makeup of leaders that looks very much like its makeup of athletes. USATFs CEO (Max Siegel) and president (Stephanie Hightower) are African-American. Ten of its 15 board members are people of color and it has exceeded the USOC benchmarks in professional staff and coaches.We take pride in our diversity but do not take it for granted, Siegel said. We make it a priority. ' ' '