Which Sports Are in the Summer Olympics 2024?

Each Olympics offers something new and exciting and this year is no different. The list of included sports for 2024, for example, features the unexpected but welcome addition of breakdancing as an official event for the first time. With the return of classic sports and the addition of new ones there are lost to keep track of. Learn more about the Summer Olympic sports you can watch below.

The Official Summer Olympics Sport List – Paris 2024

The Summer Olympic sports taking place in Paris this year are sure to bring some excitement. Some sports exist as returning events, while others are new to the scene. Below is the list of Olympic sports for 2024, with some fun facts and expert predictions if you want to place a bet on any of the events.

What Are the Most Popular Olympic Sports?

There are a few Summer Olympic events that stand out as being more popular than others. Here is an insight into three of the top Olympic sports to watch. You can also find out how to bet on these sports with our easy-to-use guide.

Swimming

The sport that made Michael Phelps a household name, swimming has been featured in every modern Summer Olympics event. The United States has secured 257 gold medals in it, with Australia coming in second with 69. Various swimming events occur at the Olympics, including the 10km open water marathon, which began in 2008.

Anyone looking to benefit from a good sports betting strategy would be wise to focus on swimmers like:

• Leon Marchand – France
• Caeleb Dressel – USA
• Katie Ledecky – USA
• Carson Foster – USA
• Jack Alexy – USA
• Woomin Kim – South Korea

Athletics

Track and field events are one of the cornerstone Summer Olympic sports. Featuring exciting sports like javelin, hammer throw, sprinting, and more, there is a lot to look forward to. Many tune in for the thrill of the fast-paced 100m sprint, with athletes completing the race within seconds. Usain Bolt is arguably the biggest name in the sprinting world still – he won Olympic gold in 2008, smashing the world record at the same time.

Other top field events include:

• 400m hurdles
• Shot Put
• Decathlon
• 10,000m
• Pole Vault
• Long Jump
• High Jump
• Triple Jump

Football

When you think “What sports are in the Olympics?”, it’s not often that football springs to mind. Yet it is included, and it manages to unite people around the world. The sport has a massive following globally anyway, so seeing it appear on the Olympics schedule will always draw fans in.

Keep an eye on teams like France, Argentina, Spain, and Morrocco if you’re looking wager on the action at a top betting app or site.

Which Sports in the 2024 Paris Olympics Are New?

It’s not uncommon for the Summer Games to feature new sporting events each time they come around. There are two new Olympic sports in 2024 – breakdancing and kayak cross, and we’ll give you an overview of both below.

✅ Breaking

Breaking competitions are scheduled for August 9 and 10, which will serve as the first dancesport to appear at the Summer Olympics. A total of 32 breakers (16 B-Boys and 16 B-Girls) will face off in one-on-one battles. Each competitor will include a combination of thrilling dance moves, including power moves like windmills.

A panel of 9 judges will score each battle and round based on five criteria – technique, vocabulary, execution, musicality and originality. Each category is worth 20% of the final score. Lithuania’s B-Girl Nicka and America’s B-Boy Victor are two to watch out for.

✅ Kayak Cross

Canoeing has been a part of the Olympics since 1936, but the 2024 edition will feature the debut of the men’s and women’s slalom kayak cross event. This will substitute for the men’s and women’s K-1 200-metre sprint races.

In this second of two new Olympic sports, four athletes race one another at the same time. “It’s a bit like snowboard cross or BMX racing”, said Marjorie Delassus, a French slalom canoeist.

Kayak Cross features a maximum of six downstream gates and two upstream gates for the competitors to get through. All athletes must complete a kayak roll – a 360° rotation – in a defined zone. Watch out for strong competition from Australia’s Jessica Fox and Britain’s Joseph Clarke.

Which New Sports Are Returning to the Olympics in 2024?

Some of the newest Olympic sports proved popular enough to make their return to the 2024 competition. They are also likely to provide some entertaining events that you can keep an eye on.

✅ 3×3 Basketball

For the second time in history, 3×3 basketball is a summer Olympic sport. Featuring eight teams in both the men’s and women’s events, each one has three players on the court and a single substitute.

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the Latvian men’s team took home the gold, while the USA claimed that medal in the women’s division.

The unique features of 3×3 basketball include a single hoop, a smaller ball, and half a court. It’s a fast-paced version of the sport, with the United States of America and Serbia both being countries to keep an eye on.

✅ Surfing

Surfing will be returning to the Olympics as well, scheduled to occur in Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia. That makes it the farthest medal competition to stage outside the host city in history.

A group of 48 surfers will compete in shortboard events, coming from 21 nations. Within the sport, surfers perform tricks on a wave, with five judges scoring them for type, variety, and difficulty.

Six surfers to watch out for in the event are:

• Carissa Moore, USA
• Caitlin Simmers, USA
• Molly Picklum, Australia
• Caroline Marks, USA
• Gabriel Medina, Brazil
• Filipe Toledo, Brazil

✅ Skateboarding

The level of competition and the showcase of talented youths in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics skateboarding events pretty much secured its return for 2024. Even more skateboarders will participate in Paris across four medal events, with street and park being in action for both men and women.

The top boarders will face one another and carry out their most exciting tricks. They will be judged on difficulty, speed, and the range of moves in their arsenal. A varied course is provided for the competitors, and high-profile skateboarders like Australia’s Chloe Covell will be looking to take home the gold.

✅ Sport Climbing

Sport climbing debuted in Tokyo and this year in Paris, the total number of medal events will double from two. These exist in two separate disciplines per gender – boulder-and-lead combined, and speed. A significant rise in the number of competitors will also be experienced this year, making the entrants go from 40 to 68.

Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret and Spain’s Alberto Ginés-López will be looking to claim second gold medals for themselves in the sport. Watch for their thrilling climbs against some strong competition from Japan and Austria.

Which Events Have Been Removed Since Tokyo 2020?

While there are new sports in the 2024 Olympics, there have also been some new sports that won’t be returning.

❌ Baseball

Many people have asked, “Is baseball in the Olympics 2024?”. The short answer is no, and this is due to scheduling concerns because the MLB has a 162-game calendar running through the summer. It will return in 2028.

❌ Softball

Softball featured at the Olympics from 1996 to 2008, disappeared for the next two events, and then returned for Tokyo 2020. However, it is not appearing in Paris due to popularity and support. It will be back for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, though.

❌ Karate

The Paris Olympic Committee also said that it had concerns over the limited universal appeal of karate, which is why it was dropped. Unlike baseball and softball, it isn’t likely to return to the next Olympic Games, either.

Will There Be New Sports at the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics?

You may be wondering how many sports are in the Olympics for Los Angeles 2028. Well, there are some new and returning sports set for that competition already. Find out more about them below.

And Will Any Summer Olympic Sports Be Removed?

In August 2022, nine sports were proposed as optional events for the 2028 Olympics. Breakdance was one of them, which has officially been removed from the event. More changes are possible, so keep checking back for future updates on this.

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