The Olympic Games, which started with just 43 events in 1896, has grown significantly. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will host a grand spectacle with 329 events across 32 sports. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to introduce two new sports and remove baseball, softball, and karate from this edition. As the historic sporting event approaches, let’s delve into the newly included sports set to make their Olympic debut in Paris.
Inspired by its success at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Argentina, the IOC announced on December 7, 2020, that breaking (breakdancing) would be included in the Paris 2024 Olympics. This marks a historic moment, as it will be the first time a dance sport features in the Summer Olympics. The competition, scheduled for August 9 and 10, will see 16 B-boys and 16 B-girls compete in thrilling one-on-one battles. Breakdancers will showcase their skills and creativity, adapting to DJ tracks to impress judges and vie for Olympic medals.
Another exciting addition is the debut of kayak cross, a new event in canoe slalom, at the Paris Olympics from August 3 to 5. This replaces the men’s and women’s K-1 200-meter sprint races. In kayak cross, four athletes race simultaneously from a ramp above the water, navigating a challenging course with up to six downstream gates and two upstream gates. This marks the first head-to-head racing event in Olympic canoe slalom history, a significant departure from the traditional individual time trials.
Along with these two debut events, sport climbing, which was featured in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, will return in Paris with an updated format. The athlete count will increase from 40 to 68, and the competition will be split into two distinct events. Unlike Tokyo, where each gender had a single combined medal, Paris will feature separate bouldering and lead events alongside a speed event. This new format promises even more thrilling and competitive action for fans of sport climbing.
