Baseball and softball fail to make London 2012

Baseball and softball's bids to get on the programme of the London 2012 Olympics failed yesterday in Turin, Italy.

International Olympic Committee members voted against even holding a ballot to decide their re-admission to the Olympic programme.

The two sports were thrown off the programme after a vote at the Singapore Session last year, becoming the first to be cut from the Games since polo in 1936.

The refusal to reconsider the sports means London will stage a reduced Games of 26 sports in 2012. Athens 2004 staged the maximum 28.

The last Olympics to be held with 26 sports was Atlanta in 1996. The minimum number required for a Games is 15.

Yesterday's vote had been the last chance for the sports to make it back in time for 2012. They will, however, be eligible to reapply later for readmission at the 2016 Games.

"We will work closely with the two federations," IOC president Jacques Rogge said.

"We will work with them at the Olympic Games at Beijing and see if there's a chance to come back in the programme (for 2016)."