You're in! Baseball/softball, 4 other sports make Tokyo cut

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Olympic leaders approved the addition of five sports to the program of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday, including the return of baseball-softball and the introduction of youth-oriented events such as skateboarding and surfing.

The five were put forward for inclusion last year by Tokyo organizers, taking advantage of new IOC rules that allow host cities to propose the inclusion of additional sports for their own games.

"Today's historic decision by the IOC is a 'home run' for the Olympics, our sport and the Tokyo 2020 Games," said Riccardo Fraccari, president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation.

Baseball and softball are global sports that belong in the Olympics," he said, adding that their approval "will allow fans throughout the world to again enjoy baseball and softball on the Olympic stage.

Before the vote, several IOC members questioned whether baseball would have the world's top players at the games.

Franco Carraro, who chairs the IOC's program commission, said he hopes the international federation can still reach an agreement with MLB, in line with the deals with the NBA and NHL that brought pro basketball and ice hockey players into the Olympics.

The lawsuit also alleged that Ream struck up a friendly relationship with Christophe Dubi, the IOC Olympic Games executive director, and provided Dubi's son with free training at a skateboarding camp he owned.