Olympic Sports

In the Olympic sports , competitions are held at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games and the Youth Olympic Games . The number and type are determined by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the respective games. The number of sports can vary from Olympics to Olympics. The subdivisions and competitions of a sport are also often changed. An international sports association recognized by the IOC is responsible for every Olympic sport, with some associations representing several sports. Many sports can be divided into individual disciplines (e.g. 100-meter run and long jump are both part of athletics ).

At the moment, 41 sports from 28 associations are permitted for the Summer Games and 15 sports from 7 associations for the Winter Games. (Status: February 2016) The smaller Summer Youth Olympic Games are currently 26 sports from 26 associations, and 16 sports from 8 associations are permitted for the Winter Youth Games.

Olympic sports at the Ancient Games

→ Main article : “Sports” in the Ancient Olympic Games article

Changes in Olympic Sports

Many Olympic sports have changed over the past century. In addition, the IOC has set the maximum number of sports at the Summer Games at 28.

The only summer sports that have always been Olympic since the beginning are athletics, swimming , cycling , fencing and gymnastics . For winter sports, this applies to skiing ( Nordic combination ), speed skating / figure skating and ice hockey . Figure skating and ice hockey were part of the Summer Olympics prior to the introduction of the 1924 Winter Olympics.

Demonstration sports were performed at many Olympic Games in the 20th century to show viewers which sport is popular in the host country. The competitions and victory ceremonies were very similar to the official sports, with the difference that the medals were not included in the medal table. Some of these demonstration sports (e.g. baseball and curling) were later added to the Olympic program because of their popularity. In 1989 the IOC decided to remove demonstration sports after the 1992 Olympics. The only exception was made in 2008 in Beijing , where the organizers were given permission to hold a wushu competition.

Between 1912 and 1948, the so-called art competitions in the five areas of architecture , literature , music , painting and sculpture were also regular Olympic disciplines in which medals were also awarded.

Motor sports are not included in the program. In the first few years, however, there was a motorboat competition until the IOC abolished it.

New Olympic sports should be determined at least 7 years before the start of the Games.

Sports at the Olympics

Summer games

The first Olympic Games only included competitions in 9 sports. Since then, the number of sports has continued to increase, so that the summer games from 2000–2008 included 28 sports. At the 2012 London Games, the number fell to 26 because the IOC decided to withdraw baseball and softball from the program in 2005, but with the prospect of being able to be re-included in the program soon. Then the number of sports rose again to 28 for the subsequent Rio games, because golf  and rugby had  been reinstated in the program by the IOC in 2009.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will set a new record as the IOC decided on August 4, 2016 to add five sports to the program. Baseball and softball will be back after being out of the Olympic program in 2012 and 2016. In addition, karate , skateboard , sport climbing and surfing will be new sports in the games. In addition, it was decided that the host can always choose a sport for the respective games.

In order to introduce a discipline, at least 75 countries and four continents must practice the sport.

Overview of the sports / disciplines

sport	Discipline at summer games			19th	20th century																							21st century
				96	00	04	06	08	12	20th	24	28	32	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	00	04	08	12	16	20th
badminton	badminton																				D.				D.	4th	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	winner
Base / softball	baseball								D.					D.			D.		D.					D.	D.	1	1	1	1	1			1	winner
	Softball																										1	1	1	1			1	winner
basketball	basketball					D.								1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	winner
	3x3 basketball																																2	winner
Archery	Archery				6th	6th		3		10											2	2	2	2	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	5	winner
Boxing	Boxing					7th		5		8th	8th	8th	8th	8th	8th	10	10	10	10	11	11	11	11	12	12	12	12	12	11	11	13	13	13	winner
fencing	fencing			3	7th	5	8th	4th	5	6th	7th	7th	7th	7th	7th	7th	7th	8th	8th	8th	8th	8th	8th	8th	8th	8th	10	10	10	10	10	10	12	winner
Soccer	Soccer				1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1		1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	winner
Weightlifting	Weightlifting			2		2	2			5	5	5	5	5	6th	7th	7th	7th	7th	7th	9	9	10	10	10	10	10	15th	15th	15th	15th	15th	14th	winner
golf	golf				2	2																										2	2	winner
Handball	Handball																				1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	winner
hockey	hockey							1		1		1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	winner
Judo	Judo																		4th		6th	6th	8th	8th	7th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	15th	winner
Canoeing	Canoe racing										D.			9	9	9	9	7th	7th	7th	7th	9	11	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	winner
	Canoe slalom																				4th					4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	winner
karate	Kata																																6th	winner
	Kumite																																6th	winner
athletics	athletics			12	23	25th	21st	26th	30th	29	27	27	29	29	33	33	33	34	36	36	38	37	38	41	42	43	44	46	46	47	47	47	48	winner
Modern pentathlon	Modern pentathlon								1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	winner
Cycling	train			5	2	7th	5	7th		4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	5	5	5	4th	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	12	12	10	10	10	12	winner
	BMX	Freestyle																															2	winner
		Race																												2	2	2	2	winner
	Mountain bike																										2	2	2	2	2	2	2	winner
	Street			1			1		2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	3	3	3	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	winner
Equestrian sport	dressage								1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	winner
	Show jumping				3				2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	winner
	Eventing riding								2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	winner
Wrestling	Freestyle					7th		5		5	7th	7th	7th	7th	8th	8th	8th	8th	8th	8th	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	8th	11	11	11	12	12	winner
	Greco-Rom.			1			4th	4th	5	5	6th	6th	7th	7th	8th	8th	8th	8th	8th	8th	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	8th	7th	7th	7th	6th	6th	winner
rowing	rowing				4th	5	6th	4th	4th	5	7th	7th	7th	7th	7th	7th	7th	7th	7th	7th	7th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	winner
rugby	7 rugby																															2	2	winner
shoot	shoot			5	9		16	15th	18th	21st	10		2	3	4th	7th	7th	6th	6th	7th	8th	7th	7th	11	13	13	15th	17th	17th	15th	15th	15th	15th	winner
Swimming	Schwim- men	Open water swimming																												2	2	2	2	winner
		swim		4th	7th	9	4th	6th	9	10	11	11	11	11	11	11	13	15th	18th	29	29	26th	26th	29	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	35	winner
	Synchronized swimming																							2	2	2	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	winner
	Water polo				1	D.		1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	winner
	Diving					2	1	2	4th	5	5	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	8th	8th	8th	8th	8th	8th	winner
sailing	sailing				7th			4th	4th	14th	3	3	4th	4th	5	5	5	5	5	5	6th	6th	6th	7th	8th	10	10	11	11	11	10	10	10	winner
skateboard	skateboard																																4th	winner
Sport climbing	Sport climbing																																2	winner
surfing	surfing																																2	winner
Taekwondo	Taekwondo																								D.	D.		8th	8th	8th	8th	8th	8th	winner
tennis	tennis			2	4th	2	4th	6th	8th	5	4th									D.				D.	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	5	5	5	winner
Table tennis	Table tennis																								4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	5	winner
Triathlon	Triathlon																											2	2	2	2	2	3	winner
Gymnastics	Gymnastics			8th	1	11	4th	2	4th	4th	9	8th	11	9	9	15th	15th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	14th	winner
	Rhythmic sports gymnastics																							1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	winner
	Trampoline exercise																											2	2	2	2	2	2	winner
volleyball	beach volleyball																										2	2	2	2	2	2	2	winner
	volleyball																		2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	winner
Former disciplines
Handball	Field handball													1		D.																		winner
Equestrian sport	Art riding									2																								winner
rugby	Rugby union				1			1		1	1																							winner
Former sports / disciplines
Cricket	Cricket				1																													winner
Jeu de Paume	Jeu de Paume							1																										winner
Croquet	Croquet				3																													winner
lacrosse	lacrosse					1		1				D.	D.		D.																			winner
Motor boating	Motor boating							3																										winner
Pelota	Pelota				1						D.									D.						D.								winner
polo	polo				1			1		1	1			1																				winner
Rackets	Rackets							2																										winner
Roque	Roque							1																										winner
Tug of war	Tug of war				1	1	1	1	1	1																								winner
Winter sports at the Summer Olympics
ice Hockey	ice Hockey									1	has been held at the Winter Games since 1924																							winner
figure skating	figure skating							4th		3	has been held at the Winter Games since 1924																							winner
Additional demonstration competitions
Judo	Judo women																								D.									winner
decisions				43	85	94	79	110	102	156	126	109	117	129	136	149	151	150	163	172	195	198	203	221	237	257	271	300	301	302	302	306
sports				9	19th	17th	13	22nd	14th	22nd	17th	14th	14th	19th	17th	17th	17th	17th	19th	20th	21st	21st	21st	23	23	25th	26th	28	28	28	26th	28	33

D - demonstration competition; italic - interludes 1906; Numbers indicate the number of competitions held

Demonstration sports

The following sports / disciplines were not part of the official Olympic program, but were played as a demonstration sport at the stated Olympic Games:

• American Football - 1904 • 1932
• Australian Football - 1956
• Ballooning - 1900
• Boule - 1900
• Bowling - 1988
• Budo - 1964
• Gaelic Football - 1904
• Glíma - 1912
• Hurling - 1904
• Kaatsen - 1928
• Korfball - 1920 • 1928
• Lifesaving - 1900
• Motorsport - 1900
• Pesäpallo - 1952
• Roller hockey - 1992
• Savate - 1924
• Swedish Remedial Gymnastics - 1948
• Glider flight - 1936
• Water skiing - 1972

Winter games

The following sports (and individual disciplines) will be played at the Winter Games . The winter sports of figure skating and ice hockey were initially played at the Summer Olympics, but have been an integral part of the Winter Games since 1924. The table adheres to the sports and disciplines listed by the IOC:

Overview of sports / disciplines

sport	Discipline at winter games			20th century																				21st century
				08	20th	24	28	32	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	94	98	02	06	10	14th	18th
biathlon	biathlon												1	1	2	2	2	3	3	3	6th	6th	6th	8th	10	10	11	11	winner
Bobsleigh	bob					1	1	2	2	2	2	2		2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	3	3	3	3	3	winner
	skeleton						1			1														2	2	2	2	2	winner
Curling	Curling					1		D.												D.	D.		2	2	2	2	2	3	winner
ice Hockey	ice Hockey				1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	winner
Ice skating	figure skating			4th	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	5	5	winner
	Speed ​​skating					5	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	8th	8th	8th	8th	9	9	9	10	10	10	10	10	12	12	12	14th	winner
	Short track																			D.	4th	6th	6th	8th	8th	8th	8th	8th	winner
Luge	Luge													3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	4th	4th	winner
Skiing	Freestyle																			D.	2	4th	4th	4th	4th	6th	10	10	winner
	Alpine skiing								2	6th	6th	6th	6th	6th	6th	6th	6th	6th	6th	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	11	winner
	Nordic skiing	Nordic combination				1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	3	3	3	3	3	winner
		Cross-country skiing				2	2	2	3	3	4th	6th	6th	7th	7th	7th	7th	7th	8th	8th	10	10	10	12	12	12	12	12	winner
		Ski jumping				1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	4th	4th	winner
	Snowboard																						4th	4th	6th	6th	10	10	winner
Former disciplines
biathlon	Military patrol					1	D.		D.	D.																			winner
Additional demonstration competitions
Ice skating	Figure skating ice dance														D.														winner
	Speed ​​skating women							D.																					winner
Skiing	Freestyle jumping / ballet																				D.								winner
decisions				4th	4th	16	14th	14th	17th	22nd	22nd	24	27	34	35	35	37	38	39	46	57	61	68	78	84	86	98	102	1061
sports				1	2	6th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	4th	6th	6th	6th	6th	6th	6th	6th	6th	6th	7th	7th	7th	7th	7th	7th

D - demonstration competition; Numbers indicate the number of competitions held

Demonstration sports

The following sports / disciplines were not part of the official Olympic program, but were played as a demonstration sport at the stated Olympic Games:

• Bandy - 1952
• Sled Dog Race - 1932
• Skis for people with disabilities - 1984 • 1988
• Ski ballet - 1988 • 1992
• Skijoring - 1928
• Speed ​​ski - 1992
• Stick shooting - 1936 • 1964
• Winter Pentathlon - 1948

Sports at the Youth Olympic Games

At the first Youth Summer Games in Singapore in 2010 , the sports were still the same as at the Olympic Games, but with different disciplines and competitions or with a limited number. The same applied to the first Winter Youth Games in Innsbruck in 2012 .

The sports program of the youth games is geared towards the taste of the young athletes and the public and is increasingly developing into a test field for new sports / disciplines and competitions for the "traditional" games. For example, the youth games and 7-a-side rugby were included in the Olympic program earlier than the Olympic Games. In Tokyo in 2021 3x3 basketball, karate and sport climbing will be added to the group of sports that were previously played at the youth games.

The disciplines acrobatics , beach handball , breakdance , futsal and inline speed skating in the youth summer games and ski mountaineering in the youth winter games have not yet been considered in the "traditional" games.

In addition, the youth games feature a large number of mixed competitions in which girls and boys start together as a team. At the Olympic Games, more and more mixed competitions replaced gender-related competitions - which can be seen as further evidence that a successful introduction of a discipline / competition at the youth games can result in inclusion in the Olympic program of the "traditional" games.

In Innsbruck 2012 there was a mixed relay of cross-country skiing and biathlon in the Olympic sports program for the first time - but this competition was replaced by a pure biathlon mixed relay at the next Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer 2016 .

Overview of sports / disciplines at the Youth Summer Games

sport	Discipline at youth summer games
				2010	2014	2018	2026
badminton	badminton			2	3	3		winner
basketball	basketball				2	2		winner
	3x3 basketball			2	2	2		winner
Archery	Archery			3	3	3		winner
Boxing	Boxing			11	13	13		winner
fencing	fencing			7th	7th	7th		winner
Soccer	Soccer			2	2			winner
	Futsal					2		winner
Weightlifting	Weightlifting			11	11	12		winner
golf	golf				3	3		winner
Handball	Beach handball					2		winner
	Handball			2	2			winner
hockey	hockey			2	2	2		winner
Judo	Judo			9	9	9		winner
Canoeing	Canoe racing			3	4th	4th		winner
	Canoe slalom			3	4th	4th		winner
karate	Kumite					6th		winner
athletics	athletics			36	37	36		winner
Modern pentathlon	Modern pentathlon			3	3	3		winner
Cycling	BMX	Freestyle				1		winner
		Race				1		winner
	Cycling combination			1	3	2		winner
Equestrian sport	Show jumping			2	2	2		winner
Wrestling	Freestyle			9	9	10		winner
	Greco-Rom.			5	5	5		winner
Roller sports	Inline speed skating					2		winner
rowing	rowing			4th	4th	4th		winner
rugby	7 rugby				2	2		winner
shoot	shoot			4th	6th	6th		winner
Swimming	swim			34	36	36		winner
	Diving			4th	5	5		winner
sailing	sailing			4th	4th	5		winner
Sport climbing	Sport climbing					2		winner
Taekwondo	Taekwondo			10	10	10		winner
Dance sport	Breakdance					3		winner
tennis	tennis			4th	5	5		winner
Table tennis	Table tennis			3	3	3		winner
Triathlon	Triathlon			3	3	3		winner
Gymnastics	acrobatics					1		winner
	Gymnastics			12	12	13		winner
	Rhythmic sports gymnastics			2	2	1		winner
	Trampoline exercise			2	2	2		winner
volleyball	beach volleyball				2	2		winner
	volleyball			2				winner
decisions				201	222	239
sports				26th	28	32

Overview of sports / disciplines at the Winter Youth Games

sport	Discipline at youth winter games
				2012	2016	2020	2024
biathlon	biathlon			5	6th	6th		winner
Bobsleigh	bob			2	2	2		winner
	skeleton			2	2	2		winner
Curling	Curling			2	2	2		winner
ice Hockey	ice Hockey			4th	4th	4th		winner
Ice skating	figure skating			5	5	5		winner
	Speed ​​skating			8th	7th	7th		winner
	Short track			5	5	5		winner
Luge	Luge			4th	4th	5		winner
Ski mountaineering	Ski mountaineering					5		winner
Skiing	Freestyle			4th	6th	8th		winner
	Alpine skiing			9	9	9		winner
	Nordic skiing	Nordic combination		1	2	3		winner
		Cross-country skiing		5	6th	6th		winner
		Ski jumping		3	3	3		winner
	Snowboard			4th	7th	9		winner
decisions				63	70	81
sports				7th	7th	8th

swell

1. ↑ Do you know the Olympic Games? P. 10. (PDF) Retrieved on February 19, 2016 . 
2. ↑ In the first few years the IOC ignored the professional associations. It was not until the IOC Congress in 1914 that they enforced their rights, with the IOC setting up its own committees from among its members for sports for which there was no association yet (e.g. modern pentathlon ), cf. Arnd Krüger (1997): Forgotton Decisions. The IOC on the Eve of World War I. Olympika , 6 (1), 85-98 ; PDF
3. ↑ Olympic.org> Sports. Retrieved February 19, 2016 . 

See also

• International Olympic Committee
• List of international associations recognized by the IOC
• List of competitions of summer Olympic sports
• List of competitions of Olympic winter sports

Web links

• Olympic Medal Winners Database
• Olympic Games Medallists ( Memento from February 10, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
• IAT database on all results in the Olympic sports