The International Olympic Committee has approved more mixed gender events for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Those mixed gender events will be introduced in athletics, swimming, table tennis and triathon including the introduction of a mixed relay in the 4x400 metres athletics, mixed team relay in triathlon and the 4x100 metres mixed medley in swimming.

Mixed doubles will also be introduced to the table tennis event.

"In Tokyo, the number of mixed events will double from nine in Rio 2016 to 18. All new events will make use of existing venues," the IOC confirmed.

The IOC president Thomas Bach also added: "The fascinating new events that we approved today, together with the five new sports that were added to the Tokyo 2020 programme last year, represent a step-change in the Olympic programme. I am delighted that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will be more youthful, more urban and will include more women."

The IOC also backed a recommendation to award the 2024 and 2028 Games at the same time.

IOC members are expected to agree to a vote on the host venues in July.

Paris is the favourite to get the 2024 Olympics, with Los Angeles tipped to get the 2028 Games.

They are the only two cities in the running for the event in seven years time, following the withdrawal of Budapest, Hamburg and Rome.