Ultimate Frisbee — Future Olympic Sport?

Adam Oltman Porcher is a Lawrenceville, New Jersey-based student who is pursuing a degree in computer science at Mercer County Community College. In his free time, NJ resident Adam Porcher enjoys playing musical instruments, drawing cartoons, studying Japanese culture and history, and playing ultimate Frisbee.

Although ultimate Frisbee is a relatively new sport, its governing bodies are hoping it can be included in the Olympic agenda in the not-so-distant future. Back in 2012, ultimate leaders projected its Olympic inclusion might be between 25 and 50 years away, but the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) efforts to appeal to a younger demographic may expedite that timeline. Ultimate was bypassed for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris in favor of sport climbing, skateboarding, breakdancing, and surfing, but the sport’s leaders are still hopeful for its inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

In November 2018, World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) president Robert Rauch and treasurer Kate Bergeron, along with USA Ultimate CEO Tom Crawford, met with the LA 2028 organizing committee. The meeting lasted 2 hours and, according to Rauch, was much more in-depth than anyone had expected.

The WFDF was recently ranked third out of 54 organizations by the Global Association of International Sports Federations, and ultimate has a number of elements the IOC looks for in new events, such as a focus on sportsmanship and mixed gender competition. A decision on new events for the 2028 Los Angeles Games isn’t expected to come until after the Tokyo Games, at the very earliest.