LONDON, England (BBC) – Women’s boxing is expected to be included in the Olympic programme, with more medals available for women across the board at London 2012.

Cycling, shooting, rowing and canoeing are aiming to add more women’s events, while swimming wants more sprints.

But they must lose other events to keep within a limit of 10 500 athletes.

The International Olympic Committee’s executive board meets in Berlin tomorrow and will make recommendations to be confirmed in October.

The IOC will also look to select two new sports from a shortlist of seven – including rugby sevens, golf and squash – to be included in the 2016 Games.

In all, 17 sports federations have made requests for modifications to their programmes for 2012.

In Beijing 165 medals were available to men, compared to 124 for women.

Women’s boxing appeared in the Games as a demonstration event in 1904, but was then banned for most of the 20th century in many countries.

However, IOC president Jacque Rogge is supporting plans to stage four women’s categories in 2012.

“Conditions are totally different now. The timing is right, because the sport has evolved a lot,” Rogge said in May.

Men’s boxing will probably lose 40 places to keep the sport within its limit of 286 Olympic athletes, with the lightest event being axed and others having tighter entry restrictions.

Swimming’s governing body FINA wants to add more 50m events, which could include the backstroke, won by Britain’s Liam Tancock at the recent World Championships.

But that could mean dropping the women’s 800m, in which Rebecca Adlington is the reigning champion.

Olympic women’s sprint champion Victoria Pendleton is one of those in favour of altering the balance of track cycling medals from the current format of seven for men and three for women.

The International Cycling Union is also thought to be keen to add BMX freestyle events for men and women in London.

The world governing body for tennis wants to add a mixed doubles tournament for the first time since 1924.

And the International Sailing Federation has already announced plans to include the Elliott 6m for women’s keelboat match.

Modern pentathlon’s new format, combining the running and shooting events, will be used for the first time at this weekend’s World Championships in London and is expected to be included for 2012.