In a recent interview, Kit McConnell hints that it is not "if" but "how," joining other IOC leaders weighing in, intensifying speculation about the potential Olympic inclusion of cycling esports.
Cycling Esports on the International stage has been a significant topic of interest for the sport’s informed well before the June 2023 Olympic Esports Series showcased several of the finest athletes the sport offers. The legitimization of Olympic recognition and the following publicity and resources will have a transformative impact on the sport’s evolution.
In a June 10, 2023, Zommunique’ interview, USA Cycling’s Chief of Sports Performance, Jim Miller, affirmed, “If esports becomes an Olympic sport, it significantly increases its status in the eyes of the USAC. It will increase our efforts and be very helpful to the sport. It’s an absolute game-changer!”
The primary reason becomes evident when you follow the money. Most of USAC’s funding is from the USOPC (United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee). This committee’s role extends to managing U.S. teams for various global sporting events, including the Olympics, Paralympics, Youth Olympics, and Pan American Games. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in overseeing the Olympic and Paralympic movements within the United States.
“They are obviously interested in Olympic medals,” notes Miller. “If the sport is an Olympic discipline, we put more emphasis and fund it at a higher level.”
Measuring Success: UCI, IOC, and Zwift Weigh in on the Event’s Impact and its Promising Future for Cycling Esports. Click the image to learn more!
During the live finals of the Olympic Esports Series held in Singapore from June 22 to 25, 2023, 131 players from 64 countries participated in the competition. Among these participants were sixteen elite esports cyclists who battled it out on the Olympic showcase and the virtual platform Zwift.
“The announcement of the Olympic Esports Series 2023 and Olympic Esports Week 2023 marked the next major step in supporting the development of virtual sports within the Olympic Movement and engaging further with competitive gamers,” notes the IOC.
Zwift was the ideal setting for an event of such significance and scale. The platform has nurtured a longstanding partnership with the UCI, resulting in the emergence of the novel discipline of cycling esports. The virtual platform hosted the first Olympic Virtual Series in 2021, marking Zwift’s acknowledgment of the significance of the developing sport and the company’s Olympic aspirations.
In Episode Twenty-Six of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Si and Chris pull back the curtain on the Olympic Esports Series with elite racer Zach Nehr, one of the 16 inaugural Olympic athletes.
In 2021, the IOC embraced an agenda dedicated to nurturing virtual sports and engaging with gaming communities. When unveiling the Olympic Esports Series 2023, IOC President Thomas Bach emphasized their approach: “Our focus in esports centers on virtual sports that involve physical activity, such as cycling, rowing, and even Taekwondo in electronic form, among other sports.”
Expanding on this, Bach stated, “We are particularly intrigued by these virtual sports because the physical exertion of these athletes equals that of their counterparts in traditional sports. Whether you’re conquering a leg of the Tour de France from your home bike or participating in the actual event, the physical demands remain consistent, presenting similar challenges.”
The IOC Esports Commission, led by the UCI President, will study the creation of an Esports Olympics, a game-changing decision with immense implications for the future of cycling esports. Tap the image to read!
First reported by The Zommunique in early October, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is laying the groundwork for the Olympic Esports Games by forming an IOC Esports Commission. IOC President Thomas Bach revealed this initiative during the 141st IOC Session held in Mumbai, India, on October 14, 2023, marking the initial strides toward realizing the vision of the Olympic Esports Games.
The establishment of the new Esports Commission in September marked a groundbreaking decision, announced as part of the regular IOC Commissions update for 2023. This development holds significant importance for the future of esports events organized by the IOC.
IOC Commissions serve as advisory bodies to the IOC President, the IOC Session, or the IOC Executive Board, providing a path for progress and change within the organization.
David Lappartient, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and leader of the IOC Esports Liaison Group, which organized the Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in June, will chair the newly formed Esports Commission.
IOC representatives referred to President Thomas Bach’s words during the session, where he stated, “I have tasked our new IOC Esports Commission with exploring the concept of Olympic Esports Games,” in response to inquiries about the inclusion of cycling esports in this agenda.
Kit McConnell, the IOC’s Sports Director, fanned the flames of this hot topic in a November 10, 2023 Mail Sport interview reported by The Daily Mail, saying games that are a “full replication of the sport” would receive consideration on the program.
McConnell expressed this sentiment to Mail Sport: “The door is open explicitly for virtual forms. Where there is a full physical replication of the traditional sport, the door is open, and we are governed by the respective international federations.”
Zwift affirmed their desire to host an Olympic competition in a statement following the June 2023 event: “We are extremely proud to host the cycling events on behalf of the UCI at the Olympic Esports Series Finals in Singapore. The racing was fast and exciting, and the 16 cyclists who competed represent some of the very best Zwift competitors in the world. Zwift’s inclusion in this groundbreaking competition strongly affirms the work Zwift has done over the last eight years to develop elite-level competition and host races for the world’s best athletes.”
McConnell added fuel to the fire by saying, “The best example is the road cycling partnership between the UCI and Zwift, and now that’s moved to another partnership (MyWhoosh). We are committed to developing the virtual side of sport.”
In a recent episode of The Virtual Velo Podcast, virtual cycling platform MyWhoosh’s Race and Event Manager Matt Smithson confirmed, “We would love to do the Olympics. We want to be the pinnacle of esports and have ideas about how to engage the audience and the athletes.”
Sources say the door is open for cycling esports in the 2028 Los Angeles Games, and the announcement could come as soon as Paris 2024.
“It’s something that we’re looking to move forward with,” said McConnell, “and it’s more a question of “how” rather than “if”.
Semi-retired after more than 20 years as the owner and director of a private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice, Chris now enjoys the freedom to dedicate himself to his passions—virtual cycling and writing.
Driven to give back to the sport that has enriched his life with countless experiences and relationships, he founded a non-profit organization, TheDIRTDadFund. In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to his “Gain Cave” on Long Island, New York, raising support for his charity.
His passion for cycling shines through in his writing, which has been featured in prominent publications like Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. In 2024, he was on-site in Abu Dhabi, covering the first live, in-person UCI Cycling Esports World Championship.
His contributions to cycling esports have not gone unnoticed, with his work cited in multiple research papers exploring this evolving discipline. He sits alongside esteemed esports scientists as a member of the Virtual Sports Research Network and contributes to groundbreaking research exploring the new frontier of virtual physical sport. Chris co-hosts The Virtual Velo Podcast, too.
