CNN —
Nearly 50 summer sports — including long-discontinued ones like motorboating and tug-of-war — have made appearances at the Olympic Games since its start in 1896.
This year, athletes are competing across 32 sports and 329 events at the Paris Olympics. That’s more than three times the number of sports featured at the very first modern Games held in Athens 128 years ago, according to a CNN analysis of Olympic Studies Centre data.
Breaking, or elite breakdancing, is the newest addition to the summer lineup. The sport was proposed by the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games along with skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing — which made their debuts at the last summer Olympics in Tokyo — in an effort to attract a new, younger audience.
Only five sports — aquatics, athletics, cycling, fencing and gymnastics — have appeared in each of the 30 iterations of the Olympic Games. Others, such as croquet and karate, have had much shorter Olympic runs and were discontinued immediately after debut.
Sports that have made strong comebacks over the years include archery, golf, rugby and tennis. These four were introduced in the early years of the Games, then were left out for more than five decades before being reintroduced. All four have made the 2024 program.
How new sports get added to the Olympic Games
The process of adding a sport to the Olympic program is a complicated one that comes with a long list of criteria and continues to undergo changes. After proving that it meets myriad eligibility and compliance requirements, a sport can be considered for and added to the Olympics program the traditional way — by being added to the Initial Sports Program by the International Olympic Committee — or the new way — by proposal of the host country.
Long gone are the days when countries fought over where the Games would be hosted next. In recent decades, hosting the Olympics has become a massive economic burden costing cities billions or tens of billions of dollars. Host countries, as a result, now have more leverage than ever in adding to the Olympic program.
“Twenty years ago this process was far more ironclad,” said Taylor McKee, assistant professor of sports management at Brock University in Ontario, Canada. “Now it’s like, ‘Look, if they want breaking, we’ll find a way. They want cricket, we’ll find a way.’”
In 2014, the IOC adopted a set of recommendations called the “Olympic Agenda 2020,” which opened the door for the OCOG of a host country to recommend sports to include in their edition of the Games. The 2020 Tokyo OCOG was the first committee to take advantage of this route and successfully added five new sports to the lineup that year: baseball/softball, karate, skateboarding, sports climbing and surfing.
Criteria for deciding whether a sport should be added or rejected is extensive and wide-ranging. Some are straight forward — like the quota of athletes and officials — but others, not so much.
“It’s not an easy process to understand. And that’s kind of the point,” said McKee.
Additions to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles are already being finalized. The LA 2028 OCOG proposed five new sports for the Olympic program that were approved by the IOC in late 2023. The next edition of the summer Games will feature flag football and squash for the first time in Olympic history. It will also bring back baseball/softball, cricket and lacrosse — which was dropped from the Olympic program following a brief two-year stint in the early 1900s.
Timeline: When every Olympic sport made its debut
- Advertisment - 
Recent Comments
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on Joe Manchin and Tommy Tuberville introduce bill on name, image and likeness rules for college sports
on San Mateo County Community College District sues five companies over role in ‘pay to play’ scandal
on If you’re a frequent traveler, these wrap tops from Aday will revolutionize your on-the-go wardrobe
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on Biden to tout bill’s prescription drug prices, energy provisions in pitch to Americans, aide says
on Following Exchange With Caitlin Clark At News Conference, Columnist Won’t Cover Indiana Fever Games
on Inside Out Mini Jawbreaker Puzzle Game from Disney Cruise Line Now Available at Walt Disney World
on Katherine Paprocka allegedly embezzled nearly $600k from school for family vacations, IVF treatment
on Johnny Knoxville Talks Jackass Stunts And How They Compare To Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible Work
on Napoli owner admits he ‘knew’ Victor Osimhen would end up at ‘Real Madrid, PSG or one English club’
on Camilla Parker Bowles Revealed the ‘Nicest Thing’ She and Prince Charles Do When They Travel Is Free
on Russian cruise and ballistic missiles kill 4 in Ukraine and Ukrainian rockets kill 2 in Russian city
on Can Tom Cruise Save The Box Office Again With Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning? An Investigation
on Boise State vs. Air Force live stream, odds, channel, prediction, how to watch on CBS Sports Network
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on College basketball rankings: Kansas helps Big 12 lead conference race for most Top 100 And 1 players
on Inside Floyd Mayweather’s Lavish Lifestyle: A Look at His Stunning Car Collection and Private Jet
on Cruise guest gets stuck on ‘claustrophobic’ water slide suspended over ocean: ‘That is super scary’
on David and Victoria Beckham so ‘Charmed’ by Tom Cruise They Have His Photos on Display at Their Home
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Big Tech companies will cover travel expenses for employees’ medical procedures, including abortion
Rhonda Walker: What I learned from my recent air travel nightmare
on Russian cruise and ballistic missiles kill 4 in Ukraine and Ukrainian rockets kill 2 in Russian city
on A weaker dollar, skyrocketing prices and ‘record’ visitor numbers: Good luck in Europe this summer
on GameFly Sale Offering Nintendo Switch Sports at a Mind-Blowing Price, Don’t Miss the Opportunity!
on Ford Blue Cruise: US regulators investigate fatal crashes involving hands-free driving technology
on San Mateo County Community College District sues five companies over role in ‘pay to play’ scandal
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on The Rev. Al Sharpton to lead protest after Florida governor’s ban of African American studies course
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on Saipan, placid island setting for Assange’s last battle, is briefly mobbed – and bemused by the fuss
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on David and Victoria Beckham so ‘Charmed’ by Tom Cruise They Have His Photos on Display at Their Home
on Iowa State starting RB Jirehl Brock among latest college football players charged in gambling probe
on Biden to tout bill’s prescription drug prices, energy provisions in pitch to Americans, aide says
on Iowa State starting RB Jirehl Brock among latest college football players charged in gambling probe
on The Rev. Al Sharpton to lead protest after Florida governor’s ban of African American studies course
on Sports World Hails ‘Superwoman’ Lindsey Vonn for Her Grand Comeback Despite Career-Changing Injury
on San Mateo County Community College District sues five companies over role in ‘pay to play’ scandal
on Saipan, placid island setting for Assange’s last battle, is briefly mobbed – and bemused by the fuss
on ‘Pokémon Scarlet’ and ‘Violet’ Fan Theories Suggest Legendary Time Travel, Alternate Dimension Plot
on Joe Manchin and Tommy Tuberville introduce bill on name, image and likeness rules for college sports
on Inside the Michael Jordan ‘Air’ movie, plus why NFL, others are buying into the sports film industry
on If you’re a frequent traveler, these wrap tops from Aday will revolutionize your on-the-go wardrobe
on How Does Jack Nicklaus Travel? Exploring the Private Jets Owned by the ‘Golden Bear’ Over the Years
on Hollywood Reporter: Tom Cruise negotiated with movie studios over AI before the actors strike began
on Ford Blue Cruise: US regulators investigate fatal crashes involving hands-free driving technology
on Dozens of boats cruise the Seine in a rehearsal for the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony on July 26
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on David and Victoria Beckham so ‘Charmed’ by Tom Cruise They Have His Photos on Display at Their Home
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on CBS Sports announces Matt Ryan will join NFL studio show. Longtime analysts Simms and Esiason depart
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Boise State vs. Air Force live stream, odds, channel, prediction, how to watch on CBS Sports Network
on Biden to tout bill’s prescription drug prices, energy provisions in pitch to Americans, aide says
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on ‘Best Intention’: Chris Kirk Has Absolute Trust in Jay Monahan and PGA Tour’s Widely Debated Model
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports announces Matt Ryan will join NFL studio show. Longtime analysts Simms and Esiason depart
on Carlos Sainz’s Soccer Fanboy Emerges as Spaniard Shares Defining Moment With This Real Madrid Legend
on Biden: ‘At this point I’m not’ planning to visit East Palestine, Ohio, after toxic train derailment
on ‘Best Intention’: Chris Kirk Has Absolute Trust in Jay Monahan and PGA Tour’s Widely Debated Model
on Ahead of big sports weekend, dispute with Disney leaves millions of cable subscribers in the dark
on A heavy wave of Russian missile attacks pounds areas across Ukraine, killing at least 4 civilians
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on Army vs. Coastal Carolina live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez Spreads Joy and Sportsmanship to the Youth of Loma de Cabrera
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
Top trending international destinations on Americans’ travel wish lists for 2024
on Dubai International Airport sees 41.6 million passengers in first half of year, more than in 2019
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on Dave Portnoy: Taylor Swift’s security should ‘drag Kim Kardashian to jail’ if she attends Eras Tour
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports, Serie A announce new TV rights deal; Paramount+ to air over 400 Italian soccer matches
on Cam Newton’s Violent Public Incident Draws Hilarious Reaction From 3x All-Star: “Where Do I Sign Up
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Angel Reese Launches Foundation Dedicated To Empowering Women Through Sports & Financial Literacy
on A weaker dollar, skyrocketing prices and ‘record’ visitor numbers: Good luck in Europe this summer
on ‘1000-Lb. Sisters’ Tammy Slaton Is Still ‘Too Large’ to Fly in a Plane Despite All the Weight Loss
Sending a transfer from user. Get =>> https://telegra.ph/Go-to-your-personal-cabinet-08-25?hs=ef8f698bb0126426554b839ee7fbce2e& 
