Karate at the Summer Olympics
In September 2015, karate was included in a shortlist along with baseball, softball, skateboarding, surfing, and sport climbing to be considered for inclusion in the 2020 Summer Olympics; and in June 2016, the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that they would support the proposal to include all of the shortlisted sports in the 2020 Games. Finally, on August 3, 2016, all five sports (counting baseball and softball together as one sport) were approved for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic program.
Karate at the 2020 Summer Olympics
There will only be three weight classes for Olympic competition, rather than the five normally used by the World Karate Federation. The two lightest (-60kg and -67kg men, -50kg and -55kg women) will be combined for the Olympic version of -67kg men and -55kg women, the middle (-75kg men, -61kg women) will remain intact, and the two heaviest (-84kg and +84kg men, -68kg and +68kg women) will be combined for Olympic +75kg men and +61kg women.