— Published on October 2, 2024

3x3 proposed for the 2030 Winter Games

Ice Hockey

Ice hockey wants to follow in basketball's footsteps: soon have a new event, in a reduced format, at the Olympic Games. Meeting in its biannual congress last week in Rhodes, Greece, the International Federation (IIHF) gave a detailed update on its project to propose 3x3 hockey to the IOC for the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps. Its president, Luc Tardif, explained that the proposal would be formalized before the deadline of January 2025, for a decision by the IOC next March. He specified that an Olympic tournament in 3x3 format would have 16 teams (eight men's, eight women's), for a total of 240 players. 3x3 hockey has already been tested several times, first among youth at the Winter YOG in Lausanne 2020 and Gangneung 2024, then more recently among seniors. A tournament is planned in Brazil in November. During the same congress, the IIHF accepted two new member countries, Bahrain and Kenya. The body also decided to feminize its governance, by adopting an amendment to its statutes that provides for the presence of at least three women on its Council.