The 2024 Summer Olympics started on July 26th and will end on August 11 upon the end of the closing ceremonies. Throughout this years Olympics, we will see 329 events spanning 32 sports. Event staples like the decathlon are still around along with the introduction of new events that were added to the fold this time around.
This year features events never seen on the Olympic stage, and some debuted in 2020 at the Tokyo games that are coming back. This list showcases what’s new and provides detail about these events!
Breaking
Brand new to this years games, this event is also known as breakdancing. Yes, breakdancing. Breaking is a dance technique that is almost fully improvised, coming on to the scene in the 1970’s. Breaking is one of it’s kind in the Olympics and will be a fun watch this year.
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is not just for the X Games. Debuting in Tokyo, skateboarding is a popular past time throughout the United States, primarily the west coast. The Olympics will have 4 events for skateboarding, 2 street and 2 park. Street includes steps and rails while the park is a traditional bowl often seen at skate parks.
Sport Climbing
Sport climbing is similar to traditional rock climbing without the safety of a harness. This is a form of free climbing and includes pre-drilled bolts placed for the climbers to grab hold of. This is much riskier than traditional rock climbing and makes for an exciting watch!
Basketball 3×3
Also debuting in 2020, this event is traditional basketball with 2 less players per team. Although the same sport, this is a completely different game than 5×5 basketball. With fewer players on the court, Basketball 3×3 is more competitive and fast paced.
Surfing
Even your average beach bum can become an Olympian now! With two total events, this follows typical scoring methods from other popular surfing competitions. Fun fact: surfing will actually be taking place in Tahiti, which is a part of French Polynesia!
Events Not Returning From The Tokyo Games
Not every new event from Tokyo came over to Paris. Baseball and Softball are taking a hiatus in 2024 but are returning for the 2028 games in Los Angeles. Karate is also on the chopping block, and isn’t currently scheduled on returning for 2028.
The Olympics are a great time to show athletic excellence, encouraging friendship between countries from all over the world. We hope you are able to enjoy this wonderful tradition!