The Paris 2024 Olympics, scheduled for next year,
will feature a wide variety of sports.
Here’s what to expect:
- A diverse program, including Breaking (new).
- Many disciplines across various sports.
For detailed information, refer to official Olympic sources.
While the exact number can sometimes be confusing due to how different disciplines within a sport are counted, the core Olympic program generally consists of around 32-33 sports for the Summer Games. These sports are governed by international federations and must adhere to the Olympic Charter.
Table of contents
Summer Olympic Sports: A Broad Overview
Here’s a categorization of some of the most popular Summer Olympic sports:
- Aquatics: Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Artistic Swimming (formerly Synchronized Swimming), Marathon Swimming.
- Athletics: Track and Field events, Marathon, Race Walking.
- Team Sports: Football (Soccer), Basketball, Volleyball, Handball, Hockey, Rugby Sevens.
- Combat Sports: Boxing, Wrestling, Judo, Taekwondo, Fencing.
- Gymnastics: Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Trampoline.
- Cycling: Road Cycling, Track Cycling, Mountain Biking, BMX Racing, BMX Freestyle.
- Equestrian: Dressage, Eventing, Jumping.
- Rowing & Canoeing: Rowing, Canoe Sprint, Canoe Slalom.
- Sailing: Various sailing classes.
- Shooting: Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun.
- Archery
- Weightlifting
- Modern Pentathlon
- Triathlon
- Golf
- Tennis
- Table Tennis
- Badminton
- Sport Climbing
- Skateboarding
- Surfing
- Breaking (Breakdancing) ― New for Paris 2024!
It’s important to note that within each of these sports, there are often multiple events and disciplines. For example, athletics includes sprints, middle-distance running, long-distance running, hurdles, jumping events, throwing events, and combined events like the decathlon and heptathlon. This significantly increases the total number of medals awarded at the Olympics.
Winter Olympic Sports
The Winter Olympics feature a different set of sports, typically revolving around ice and snow. Some of the main Winter Olympic sports include:
- Skiing: Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined, Freestyle Skiing, Snowboarding.
- Ice Sports: Ice Hockey, Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Short Track Speed Skating, Curling, Bobsleigh, Luge, Skeleton.
- Biathlon
The number of sports and events at both the Summer and Winter Olympics can change from Games to Games as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) seeks to keep the program fresh and relevant.
Staying Updated
For the most accurate and up-to-date information on the specific sports and events included in any given Olympic Games, always consult the official website of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the website of the upcoming Games (e.g., Paris2024.org).
