Olympic sports

Archery competition held during the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics. Dropped from the Olympic program after the Antwerp games, it was reinstated in 1972.

The Olympic sports comprise all the sports contested in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. As of 2012, the Summer Olympics will include 26 sports with 36 disciplines and about 300 events, and the Winter Olympics include 7 sports with 15 disciplines and about 80 events.^[1] The number and kinds of events may change slightly from one Olympiad to another.

In North America, "Olympic sports" may also refer to any NCAA intercollegiate sport that does not generate revenue for a college the way college football and men's college basketball do.^[2]

Sports, disciplines, events

For purposes of Olympic competition, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) makes a distinction between sports and disciplines. A sport, in Olympic terms, is a single or group of disciplines as represented by an international governing body, namely an International Federation.^[3] For example, aquatics, represented at the Olympic level by the International Swimming Federation, is a sport at the Summer Olympics that includes the swimming, diving, synchronized swimming and water polo disciplines.^[1] Skating, represented by the International Skating Union, is a sport at the Winter Olympics that includes three disciplines—figure skating, speed skating on the traditional long track, and short track speed skating.^[1]

Medals are awarded on a per-event basis; there can be one or more events per sport or discipline.^[3] In fact, with the removal of baseball and softball from the Summer Olympics after the 2008 Games, every current Olympic discipline has at least two events.

For most of the 20th century, demonstration sports have been included in many Olympic Games, usually to promote a non-Olympic sport popular in the host country, or to gauge interest and support for the sport.^[4] Some such sports, like curling, were subsequently added to the official Olympic program. This changed when the International Olympic Committee decided in 1989 to eliminate demonstration sports from Olympics Games after 1992.^[5] Although no demonstration sports have been included since then, as an alternative, the Beijing Organizing Committee received permission to organize a wushu tournament for the 2008 Summer Olympics.^[6][7]

Changes

Curling was promoted to official Olympic sport at the Nagano 1998 Winter Olympics.

A sport or discipline is included in the Olympic program if the IOC determines that it is widely practised around the world, that is, the number of countries that compete in a given sport is the indicator of the sport's prevalence. The IOC's requirements reflect participation in the Olympic Games as well — more stringent toward men (as they are represented in higher numbers) and Summer sports (as more nations compete in the Summer Olympics). Sports may not depend primarily on mechanical propulsion, though there were power-boating events in the early days of the Olympics.^[3][8]

Previous Olympic Games included sports which are no longer present on the current program, like polo and tug of war.^[1] These sports, known as discontinued sports, were later removed either because of lack of interest or absence of an appropriate governing body.^[3] Archery and tennis are examples of sports that were competed at the early Games and were later dropped by the IOC, but managed to return to the Olympic program (in 1972 and 1988, respectively). On July 11, 2005, the IOC voted to drop baseball and softball from the Olympic program for 2012,^[9] a decision that was reaffirmed on February 9, 2006.^[10]

On August 13, 2009, the IOC Executive Board proposed that golf and rugby sevens be added to the Olympic program for the 2016 Games.^[11]On 9 October 2009, during the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen, the IOC voted to elevate both sports as official Olympic sports and to include them in the Olympic program, beginning with the Rio de Janeiro Games.^[12]The IOC voted 81-8 in favor of including rugby sevens and 63-27 in favor of reinstating golf.^[12]

Recognized sports

Tug of war contested at the 1904 Summer Olympics. It was later dropped from the Olympic program but remains a recognized sport.

Many sports are not included in the Olympic program but are recognized by the IOC.^[1] At any time, a recognized sport may be added to the Olympic program in future Games through a recommendation by the IOC Olympic Programme Commission followed by a voting of the IOC membership. When Olympic demonstration sports were allowed, a sport typically first appeared as such before being officially promoted.^[4] An International Federation (IF) is responsible for ensuring that the sport's activities follow the Olympic Charter; from the moment their sport is recognized they become official Olympic federations and can assemble with the IOC and remaining Olympic IFs.^[1] Recognized sports that are not part of the competition schedule for an Olympic Games usually become part of the schedule of the World Games.

The following sports, though not contested in the Olympic Games, are recognized by the IOC:^[13]

Summer Olympics

At the first Olympic Games, nine sports were contested.^[14] Since then, the number of sports contested at the Summer Olympic Games has gradually risen to twenty-eight on the program from 2000–2008. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, however, the number of sports will fall back to twenty-six following an IOC vote in early 2006 deciding the removal of baseball and softball from the Olympic program. These remain recognized sports nonetheless, with the possibility of a return to the Olympic program in future games.^[9] At the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen on 9 October 2009, the IOC voted to simultaneously reinstate both golf and rugby to the Olympic program, meaning that for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, the number of official Olympic sports that will be contested will be back up to 28 again, two more than the 26 sports that constitute London's program.^[15]

In order for a sport or discipline to be in included in the Summer Olympics program (but not necessarily be contested at the Olympics), it must be widely practiced by men and women, in at least 75 and 50 countries, respectively, spread over four continents.^[16]

Current summer program

The following sports (or disciplines of a sport) make up the current Summer Olympic Games official program and are listed alphabetically according to the name used by the IOC. The figures in each cell indicate the number of events for each sport contested at the respective Games; a bullet (•) denotes that the sport was contested as a demonstration sport.

Seven of the 26 sports consist of multiple disciplines. Disciplines from the same sport are grouped under the same color:

     Aquatics –      Canoeing/Kayak –      Cycling –      Gymnastics –      Volleyball –      Equestrian –      Wrestling
For equestrian and wrestling, the figures in each cell indicate the number of events for each sport, and not for each discipline separately.

Sport (Discipline)		Body	96	00	04	06	08	12	20	24	28	32	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	00	04	08	12
Diving		FINA			2	1	2	4	5	5	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	8	8	8	8
Swimming			4	7	9	4	6	9	10	11	11	11	11	11	11	13	15	18	29	29	26	26	29	31	31	32	32	32	34	34
Synchronized swimming																							2	2	2	1	2	2	2	2
Water polo				1	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
Canoe/kayak (sprint)		ICF								•			9	9	9	9	7	7	7	7	11	11	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12
Canoe/kayak (slalom)																				4					4	4	4	4	4	4
BMX		UCI																											2	2
Mountain biking																										2	2	2	2	2
Road cycling			1			1		2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	3	3	3	4	4	4	4	4
Track cycling			5	2	7	5	6		4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	5	5	5	4	4	5	6	7	8	12	12	10	10
Artistic		FIG	8	1	11	4	2	4	4	9	8	11	9	9	15	15	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14
Rhythmic																							1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2
Trampoline																											2	2	2	2
Volleyball (beach)		FIVB																							•	2	2	2	2	2
Volleyball (indoor)										•								2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
Dressage		FEI		3				5	7	5	6	5	6	6	6	6	5	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6
Eventing
Jumping
Freestyle		FILA	1		8	4	10	5	10	13	13	14	14	16	16	16	16	16	16	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	16	18	18	18
Greco-Roman
Archery		FITA		6	6		3		10											2	2	2	2	4	4	4	4	4	4	4
Athletics		IAAF	12	23	25	21	26	30	29	27	27	29	29	33	33	33	34	36	36	38	37	38	41	42	43	44	46	46	47	47
Badminton		BWF																		•				•	4	5	5	5	5	5
Basketball		FIBA			•					•			1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
Boxing		AIBA			7		5		8	8	8	8	8	8	10	10	10	10	11	11	11	11	12	12	12	12	12	11	11	13
Fencing		FIE	3	7	5	8	4	5	6	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	10	10	10	10	10
Field hockey		FIH					1		1		1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
Football		FIFA		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
Handball		IHF											1		•					1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
Judo		IJF																4		6	6	8	8	7	14	14	14	14	14	14
Modern pentathlon		UIPM						1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	1	2	2	2	2
Rowing		FISA		5	5	6	4	4	5	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14
Sailing		ISAF		10			4	4	14	3	3	4	4	5	5	5	5	5	5	6	6	6	7	8	10	10	11	11	11	10
Shooting		ISSF	5	9		16	15	18	21	10		2	3	4	7	7	6	6	7	8	7	7	11	13	13	15	17	17	15	15
Table tennis		ITTF																						4	4	4	4	4	4	4
Taekwondo		WTF																						•	•		8	8	8	8
Tennis		ITF	2	4	2	4	6	8	5	5									•				•	4	4	4	4	4	4	5
Triathlon		ITU																									2	2	2	2
Weightlifting		IWF	2		2	2			5	5	5	5	5	6	7	7	7	7	7	9	9	10	10	10	10	10	15	15	15	15
Total events			43	89	96	78	110	102	156	126	109	116	129	136	149	151	150	163	172	195	198	203	221	237	257	271	300	301	302	302

Discontinued summer sports

The following sports were previously part of the Summer Olympic Games program as official sports, but are no longer on the current program. The numbers in each cell indicate the number of events for each sport that were contested at the respective Games; a bullet denotes that the sport was contested as a demonstration sport.

Sport		96	00	04	06	08	12	20	24	28	32	36	40	44	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	00	04	08
Baseball							•					•				•	•		•					•	•	1	1	1	1	1
Basque pelota			1						•											•						•
Cricket			1
Croquet			3
Golf			2	2
Lacrosse				1		1				•	•		•
Jeu de paume			•			1			•
Polo			1			1		1	1			1
Rackets						2
Roque				1
Rugby union			1			1		1	1
Softball																											1	1	1	1
Tug of war			1	1	1	1	1	1
Water motorsports			•			3
Figure skating						4		3	Rescheduled during winter games
Ice hockey								1

Demonstration summer sports

The following sports or disciplines have been demonstrated at the Summer Olympic Games for the years shown, but have never been included on the official Olympic program:

Gliding was promoted from demonstration sport to an official Olympic sport in 1936 in time for the 1940 Summer Olympics, but the Games were cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II.^[17][18]

Winter Olympics

Before 1924, when the first Winter Olympic Games were celebrated, sports held on ice, like figure skating and ice hockey, were contested at the Summer Olympics.^[19] These two sports made their debuts at the 1908 and the 1920 Summer Olympics, respectively, but were permanently integrated in the Winter Olympics program as of the first edition. The International Winter Sports Week, later dubbed the I Olympic Winter Games and retroactively recognized as such by the IOC, consisted of nine sports. The number of sports contested at the Winter Olympics has since been decreased to seven, comprising a total of fifteen disciplines.^[20]

A sport or discipline must be widely practiced in at least 25 countries on three continents in order to be included on the Winter Olympics program.^[3]

Current winter program

The following sports (or disciplines of a sport) make up the current Winter Olympic Games official program and are listed alphabetically, according to the name used by the IOC. The figures in each cell indicate the number of events for each sport that were contested at the respective Games (the red cells indicate that those sports were held at the Summer Games); a bullet denotes that the sport was contested as a demonstration sport. On some occasions, both official medal events and demonstration events were contested in the same sport at the same Games.

Three out of the seven sports consist of multiple disciplines. Disciplines from the same sport are grouped under the same color:

     Skating –      Skiing –      Bobsleigh

Sport (Discipline)		Body	08	20	24	28	32	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	94	98	02	06	10
Figure skating		ISU	4	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4
Speed skating					5	4	4 •	4	4	4	4	8	8	8	8	9	9	9	10	10	10	10	10	12	12
Short track speed skating																			•	4	6	6	8	8	8
Ice hockey		IIHF		1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2
Curling		WCF			1		•												•	•		2	2	2	2
Cross country skiing		FIS			2	2	2	3	3	4	6	6	7	7	7	7	7	8	8	10	10	10	12	12	12
Alpine skiing								2	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	10	10	10	10	10	10	10
Ski jumping					1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	3	3	3	3	3	3	3
Nordic combined					1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	3	3	3
Freestyle skiing																			•	2 •	4	4	4	4	6
Snowboarding																						4	4	6	6
Biathlon		IBU			1	•1		•1	•1			1	1	2	2	2	3	3	3	6	6	6	8	10	10
Luge		FIL											3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3
Bobsleigh		FIBT			1	1	2	2	2	2	2		2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	3	3	3
Skeleton						1			1														2	2	2
Total events					16	14	14	17	22	22	24	27	34	35	35	37	38	39	46	57	61	68	78	84	86

¹ As military patrol, see below.

Demonstration winter sports

The following sports have been demonstrated at the Winter Olympic Games for the years shown, but have never been included on the official Olympic program:

Military patrol was an official skiing event in 1924 but the IOC currently considers it an event of biathlon in those games, and not as a separate sport. Ski ballet, similarly, was simply a demonstration event falling under the scope of freestyle skiing.

References

See also

• Paralympic sports
• Association of Summer Olympic International Federations
• Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations

External links

• Olympic Official Reports
• International Olympic Committee - Sports
• IOC Olympic Programme Commission
• International Sports Federations