Golf and rugby sevens have been shortlisted for inclusion at the 2016 Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said in Berlin on Thursday.
The two were selected from seven candidate sports by the IOC's executive board at a meeting in Berlin and a final vote on their inclusion will be held at the IOC session in Copenhagen in October.
The other five -- squash, softball, baseball, roller sports and karate -- will need to wait another four years before attempting to make it on to the Games programme.
"In the end, the decision came down to which two would add the most value," IOC president Jacques Rogge told reporters.
"Golf and rugby scored high on all 33 criteria," Rogge said, adding this is still a proposal and it needs to be validated.
Golf could return to the Olympics for the first time since 1904.
"This is the biggest growth opportunity for golf, said Peter Dawson, chief executive of the Royal and Ancient (R&A) and one of the bid leaders.
"Golf has a lot to offer to the Olympic movement."
Rugby, which had been part of four Olympics until 1924, will feature its shorter and smaller version of sevens.
"It is a big step we took today," said International Rugby Board chairman Bernard Lapasset. "We worked hard for two years and we felt this work paid off today. Now we have another step to climb in October."
