LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Mixed doubles tennis was added to the 2012 Summer Olympics lineup Thursday by the International Olympic Committee.
The IOC said the changes were made at the request of the International Tennis Federation ndon.
The mixed-doubles competition marks a return to the Olympics schedule but the event hasn’t been contested since the 1924 Games. The IOC didn’t announce details as to number of teams but was known to be looking for assurances the world’s top singles players would participate.
The IOC did say the event “will not increase the current number of athletes” at the Games.
The International Olympic Committee said it would give “another opportunity for men and women to compete together on the same field of play”.
“The inclusion of a tennis mixed doubles event will not increase the current number of athletes and will bring added value to the Olympic programme,” the IOC added.
Outside of the Olympics, the sport’s biggest stars rarely play doubles or mixed doubles.
At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, tennis gold medals were won by Spain’s Rafael Nadal, Elena Dementieva of Russia, and Swiss pair Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka.
The tennis events at the London 2012 Games will take place on the grass courts of Wimbledon.