The Paris Olympics 2024 will feature a diverse array of sports, continuing the tradition of showcasing the world’s finest athletic talents across a broad spectrum of disciplines. This year, the Games will include 45 sports, highlighting both long-standing events and exciting new additions.
The evolution of the Olympic sports line-up reflects the dynamic nature of global athletic interests and the International Olympic Committee’s commitment to keeping the Games relevant and engaging.
Over the years, the number of Olympic sports has grown significantly. From the nine sports featured in the inaugural modern Olympics in Athens in 1896, the Games have continually expanded. In Paris 2024, the sports roster will see the return of popular events like athletics, swimming, and gymnastics, as well as newer sports introduced in recent editions, such as skateboarding, surfing, and sport climbing.
New to the Paris Olympics is breakdancing, which makes its debut as an official Olympic sport. This addition reflects the evolving landscape of competitive sports and the inclusion of urban and youth-oriented events to attract a broader audience.
What Sports are in the Summer Olympics 2024?
The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics will feature a diverse range of sports, showcasing traditional events and newer disciplines. Here is the comprehensive list of sports for the Summer Olympics 2024:
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Basketball
- 3×3 Basketball
- Handball
- Boxing
- Breaking (Breakdancing)
- BMX Freestyle
- BMX Racing
- Mountain Biking
- Track Cycling
- Road Cycling
- Sport Climbing
- Fencing
- Soccer
- Artistic Gymnastics
- Trampoline Gymnastics
- Rhythmic Gymnastics
- Golf
- Weightlifting
- Equestrian
- Field Hockey
- Judo
- Wrestling
- Swimming
- Artistic Swimming
- Open Water Swimming
- Modern Pentathlon
- Canoe Slalom
- Canoe Sprint
- Rowing
- Rugby Sevens
- Diving
- Skateboarding
- Surfing
- Taekwondo
- Tennis
- Table Tennis
- Shooting
- Archery
- Triathlon
- Sailing
- Volleyball
- Beach Volleyball
- Water Polo
These sports encompass a wide range of physical and technical skills, ensuring a varied and exciting competition for athletes and spectators from around the world.
New Olympics Sports That Are Recently Added
For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, break dancing, an urban dance style born out of hip-hop culture, will be an Olympic discipline. The break dance competition in Paris 2024 will have male and female categories. In each, 16 B-Boys and 16 B-Girls will face off in solo battles for the best score from the judges. The sports that were added for Tokyo 2020 and will be retained for Paris 2024 are surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing
In addition to the new sports, Paris 2024 will add new disciplines in several existing sports:
- Sailing: new disciplines of kitesurfing, 470 and ocean racing.
- Canoeing: Introduction of men’s and women’s extreme slalom.
- Boxing: A new weight category in women’s boxing.
- Sport Shooting: Addition of mixed skeet.
- Athletics: A new mixed event replacing the 50 km walk.
Sports Removed From Olympics 2024
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to exclude some sports that were present in Tokyo 2020. In this edition, there will be no baseball or karate competitions. This affects the Spanish delegation, which loses medal chances in karate, where Damian Quintero and Sandra Sanchez were strong candidates.
New Olympic Sports 2028
For the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, several sports have been proposed or are under consideration. The LA 2028 organizers have proposed including other sports to appeal to local and global audiences. As of now, the following sports are expected to be included:
- Baseball/Softball: Baseball was part of the Olympics from 1992 to 2008 and softball from 1996 to 2008. It is likely to return, given its popularity in the U.S. and among international audiences.
- Lacrosse: Returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1908, with a strong push from the lacrosse community.
- Squash: A popular racquet sport that has been campaigning for inclusion for several years.
- Wrestling: Although it was initially removed from the 2020 Games, it was reinstated after a strong campaign and is expected to remain.
