What Are the New Olympic Sports in 2024?
The 2024 Olympics are almost here! The Sumer Olympics, which are slated to officially begin on July 26, 2024, though competition begins two days earlier, promise to be one of the most exciting in the illustrious history of the games.
The 2024 Summer Olympics are an especially important event, as the last time we got to enjoy the Summer Olympics, it was on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Because of the pandemic, the 2020 games were pushed back to 2021, resulting in countless changes to the competitions themselves and how the games were enjoyed.
As is always the case, one of the most interesting parts of the Olympics is seeing which new competitions have been added to the equation. There are certain events that are synonymous with the Olympics.
For instance, marathon races have been part of the games since the first iteration was held in 1896. However, the Olympic Committee works closely with city officials to add competitions, opening up the Olympics to athletes from around the world.
This year promises to be no different. With that in mind, take a look at some of the new sports in the 2024 Olympics.
Newish Sports
Before we take a deeper look at some of the competitions that will be debuting in 2024, it’s worth noting that some of the games that premiered during the last Olympics will be making their return.
3x3 Basketball
For instance, 3x3 basketball is slated to come back in 2024 after being critically acclaimed after its debut in the 2020 games. 3x3 basketball has actually been a part of the Youth Olympics for several years.
The 3x3 basketball tournaments are based on urban, streetball. The game is played on half of a court instead of a full court with both teams playing offense and defense on the same goal.
Scoring is relatively straightforward. The first team to score 21 points wins. If neither team makes it to 21, the team with the highest score at the end of 10 minutes will be declared the winner.
The Team USA 3x3 men’s team features some familiar faces to college basketball fans including Jimmer Fredette, Dylan Travis, and Canyon Berry. Meanwhile, the USA women’s squad includes Hailey Van Lith, Cameron Brink, and Rhyne Howard.
Skateboarding
Skateboarding also made its debut during the last Summer Olympics, and it looks like it’s here to stay. Those competing in the skateboarding competition, including American Poe Pinson, will compete in two disciplines: park and street skating.
The park competition is held in a skate park, and each competitor gets three 45-second runs to score as high as possible with only their top score being counted.
The street competition takes place on a court designed to look like a street, complete with handrails, stairs, and more. Competitors each get two 45-second runs to score as high as possible.
Sport Climbing
Sport climbing is also making a return in 2024, however, things are going to look different this year compared to when the event debuted a few years back.
The number of athletes will increase from 40 to 68, and competitors will now compete in two different types of sports climbing, doubling the number of medals.
Surfing
Finally, surfing will once again be in the mix this year. Obviously, surfing competitions depend on access to the ocean.
In Tokyo, the competition was held roughly 60 miles outside of the city. This year, the distance will be much larger. Those competing for surfing gold will actually be some 9,000 miles away from Paris in Tahiti.
New Olympic Sports in 2024
Now that we know about the newish games that are making a second appearance, let’s take a look at the games that will be part of the Olympics for the first time ever.
Breaking
If the term “breaking” doesn’t tell you what this new competition is about, it’s probably because you’ve heard it referred to as breakdancing.
The Paris Olympic Committee said several years back that they wanted to help make the games more appealing to young people, and one of the first steps that they took in that pursuit was to add breakdancing to the games.
Breakdancing originated in the Bronx in the 1970s. What was originally a method of freestyle dancing quickly evolved into a competitive sport that’s featured around the globe. For the first time ever, breakdancing competitions will take place at the Olympics.
Breaking was part of the 2018 Youth Olympics, and will now be on the biggest sports stage in the world. 16 men and 16 women, known as “B-Boys” and “B-Girls” respectively, will make up a dance routine on the spot, as they don’t know what music will play until the competition begins.
Each competitor gets approximately one minute. When their time ends, their opponent must immediately begin.
Currently, breaking is not slated to be a part of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Kayak Cross
Kayak cross will also make its Olympic debut and will fall under the heading of the canoe slalom competition. The general premise of the kayak cross competition is to combine the four principles of canoeing into a single competitive event.
Each round will feature four competitors who begin the round from a platform high above the water before dropping in.
What Games Have Been Removed From the 2024 Olympics
With the addition of kayak cross and breaking, along with additional rounds of competition added to some of the other games, it stands to reason that some sports will not be a part of the 2024 Olympic games.
Karate
Karate, which made its debut at the Tokyo Olympics that were played in 2021, will not be a part of the 2024 games.
According to insiders, the viewership for karate was among the lowest of any of the Olympic sports, so organizers made the decision to remove it from this year’s schedule.
Baseball and Softball
Baseball and softball have both also been removed from the Olympics. This isn’t exactly shocking, as baseball has a long, tricky history with the Olympic games.
Most notably, it’s difficult to schedule because of the Major League Baseball season that runs through the heart of summer. This will be the 32nd Olympic games, and baseball has only been featured in 14 of them.
Also, with the introduction of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), baseball already has a worldwide competition that takes place every four years.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has long pushed for gender equality, in order to have a relatively even number of men and women competing. With the removal of baseball from the Olympics in 2024, softball was also scratched.
Will Flag Football Be Part of the Olympics?
Over the last few years, there has been a huge push for football to be added to the Olympic schedule. In order to prevent serious injury, organizers agreed that flag football would be a fair compromise.
If you follow American football, you’ve probably heard some of the best players in the world talking about their excitement regarding playing for their country.
Unfortunately, fans are going to have to wait a little longer before they get to see their gridiron heroes suit up for Team USA.
Flag football is not on the schedule for the 2024 Paris Olympics, but is expected to make its debut in the 2028 games in Los Angeles, California.
Let the 2024 Olympics Begin
Who will be the first medal winners in these new competitions?
Only time will tell. What we do know is that these new addition to the Olympics, whether they stick around for 2028, promise to make the Paris Olympics one of the biggest events in the history of the games.