Cheerleading seeks inclusion in Olympic Games

October 30, 2025

 Lausanne (Switzerland) Having made its debut in the World Games this August in Chengdu, China, cheerleading, as a sport, is seeking to be part of the Olympic Games family, Jeff Webb, President of the International Cheer Union (ICU), has said.

The ICU is here for the three-day International Federations (IFs) Forum at the Olympic Museum, organised by SportAccord, which gathers the International Olympic Committee (IOC), IFs, and forum partners to talk about the future of sports on Tuesday.

“We’ve attended the forum for 10 years. About 70 sports are allowed in the forum, which has attendees who are already in the Games. They are the crown jewels. Some of which are already recognized by the IOC, and some are trying to get recognition. So this is the time when all the parts come together to find topics that interest everybody,” Webb said.

The ICU, founded in 2004, was recognised by the IOC as the world governing body of cheerleading in 2021. It comprises 121 national federations and represents over 10 million athletes worldwide, reports Xinhua.

A mixed Pom Doubles competition was held for the first time at the 2025 Chengdu World Games, where the United States won the gold medals.

“We were recognised fully in 2021. The World Games are now a part of our portfolio. We’re continuing to press. This is a story very strong for us,” said Karl Olson, ICU’s Secretary General.

Webb said, “We’re trying to have our participation here, trying to be a part of this as well. The World Games is a start, and the ultimate (goal), obviously, is to be in the Olympic Games.”

For many sports fans, cheerleading is more like an entertaining part of a game. But actually, cheerleading combines elements of gymnastics, acrobatics, and dance. It was originally tasked to cheer the teams and entertain the audience, but today, cheerleading is practised as an independent competitive sport.