An excerpt from an interview published in MARCA, Spain's leading sports newspaper with 1 million readers, on 19 February.

MARCA: Does your mandate lack an outright revolution in the Games; above all when it comes to the Olympic Sports Program which is somewhat antiquated?

Jacques Rogge: Smiles. That is a good question. I don't believe in revolutions but in evolution. One needs to understand the decision-making mechanism of the International Olympic Committee. It is on the heavy side. In private enterprise the director general arrives, takes a decision jointly with the executive today, and from tomorrow it gets implemented. In a single day! We have a Session once a year. We have three days for our decisions, and that is a little antiquated. Still, that is the reality of this society. Changing the Olympic Program is not easy beacuse there is resistence. But I believe we have established a base for the future. We went from 28 sports to 26 after the elimination of baseball and softball, and that is the first time the number of sports was reduced since 1936, when polo was dropped. Hence there is one change already. The second evolution we need is that of introducing new sports into the Games. On this we need to speak up during the Olympic Congress in 2009. We will vote on the proposal to have 26 sports permanently on the program, that will be our core, and two sports added (per edition).

MARCA: Which ones?

JR: I don't know. But there is one change since I am in Olympism. Until my arrival the only thing we did was increase and increase again. Speaking only of the past 20 years: in Seoul, in 1988, we had 21 sports; in Barcelona 25; in Sydney 28. That was when I called for a stop. Give me some time; we need to start working on the evolution!

MARCA: We understand that golf interests you because of Tiger Woods.

JR: Yes, but golf has a problem at this time; it doesn't have a real world governing body. Today golf is the PGA Tour, the European Tour, the Asian Tour. It is a sport where the regional aspects are very strong, but yes: I would like to have Tiger Woods. We look for universal sports which are in demand among youth.