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The 2024 Summer Olympic Games officially kicked off in Paris, France, on July 26 with an Opening Ceremony outside along the city’s famed Seine River before the sports competitions. Around 10,500 athletes will march in the Parade of Nations, and then these top competitors — many who have trained for years to have a shot at the gold, silver and bronze coveted medals — will compete in their sport over the competition’s16 days.
From July 26 until the Olympic closing ceremony on Aug. 11, athletes will compete in 32 different categories of sports ranging from archery to table tennis. Spectators from around the world will gather to watch their favorite athletes, such as Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky, in swimming and gymnastics, among others. Tennis star Coco Gauff will lead the U.S. team at the Paris Olympics three years after missing the Tokyo Games due to testing positive for COVID-19.
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What were the original Olympic sports played at the first Summer Games?
Ancient Olympic sports included running, long jump, shot put, javelin, boxing, pankration (a combat sport, sort of the ancient equivalent of modern mixed martial arts) and equestrian events. Initially a one-day event until 684 BC the Olympics was extended to three days and then to five days to cover the multitude of sporting events for attendees.
Some ancient sports techniques – such as for discus – haven’t changed much, but other techniques have differed greatly throughout the years. Boxers, in the Ancient Olympics, wrapped straps around their hands to strengthen their wrists and steady their fingers but as time progressed athletes started using hard leather straps. These straps often caused disfigurement of their opponent’s face. Jumpers competed with heavy weights during their jumps dropping them at the end of their flight.
What are the new Olympic sports for the 2024 Games?
For the first time, athletes will be able to compete in breaking — an urban dance started in the United States — which was added to the Olympics as a new sport in the 2024 Paris Games. Athletes will compete in two events — one for men and one for women — where 16 men and 16 women will face off in solo breakdance battles.
What are some of the more obscure Olympic sports?
Competitions will take place in 35 venues divided into three general areas, the Olympics said. Paris will host 13 sports, Ile-de-France 12 sports, and the rest of France will host 10 sports.
Some of the more obscure Olympic sports are the trampoline Olympics, where athletes bounce at least 26 feet in the air while twisting and tumbling; rugby sevens, where athletes play intense matches lasting 14 minutes; and the modern pentathlon. The modern pentathlon, which was introduced to the Olympic program in 1912 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, is made up of four events combining five sports: running, riding, swimming, fencing and shooting.
Full list of Summer Olympic Sports for 2024
- Aquatics (swimming, marathon swimming, diving, water polo, artistic swimming)
- Archery
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Basketball (3×3, basketball)
- Boxing
- Breaking*
- Canoe (canoe sprint, canoe slalom)
- Cycling (BMX freestyle, BMX racing, road cycling, track cycling)
- Equestrian (equestrian eventing, equestrian dressage, equestrian jumping)
- Fencing
- Football
- Golf
- Gymnastics (artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline gymnastics)
- Handball
- Hockey
- Judo
- Modern Pentathlon
- Rowing
- Rugby (rugby sevens)
- Sailing
- Shooting
- Skateboarding*
- Sport Climbing*
- Surfing*
- Table Tennis
- Taekwondo
- Tennis
- Triathlon
- Volleyball (beach volleyball, volleyball)
- Weightlifting
- Wrestling (Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling)
