In a decision expected to have far reaching implications for the sport, the FIG Council approved a reduction in Olympic team size for Artistic Gymnastics from five gymnasts to four beginning with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics during its May Council meeting in Melbourne (AUS).

The decision, approved by a vote of 29 for, 7 against and one abstention, is likely to be the last big change to come in the 20-year tenure of FIG President Bruno Grandi (ITA).

Although teams will be smaller, the number of competitors at the Olympic Games will stay the same. All nations will now have the possibility to qualify up to three individuals to compete at the Olympics, while the deepest nations will be able to qualify a team of four as well as two individuals, for a maximum total of six gymnasts per country.

The system of Olympic qualification will also change, with top teams qualifying for the Games two years before the Olympics. Also for the first time, the continental championships and FIG World Cup events will be used as qualifying events for the Games.

The intention, says Grandi is that making different FIG events Olympic qualifiers will benefit the gymnasts, who will now have more opportunities to qualify for the Games, and will also attract additional television attention and sponsorships.

Separately the Council awarded the 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships to the German Gymnastics Federation and the city of Stuttgart.