The Olympic Games feature a wide range of sports, with new events added and removed from the program from time to time. The sports played in the Olympics get split into two categories: core sports and also additional sports.
Core Sports are sports that have been present in every edition of the Olympic Games since their inception, these include sports such as:
- Athletics (track and field events)
- Aquatics (swimming, diving, and synchronized swimming)
- Gymnastics (artistic, rhythmic, and trampoline)
- Fencing
- Football (soccer)
- Basketball
- Volleyball
- Tennis
- Table tennis
- Boxing
- Judo
- Wrestling
Additional sports are ones that get added to the program at various points in the history of the Olympics, but they are not included in every edition of the games, like:
- Baseball
- Softball
- Karate
- Skateboarding
- Surfing
- Climbing
The sports played in the Olympics can vary depending on the host city, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decides on the sports that will get included in the Olympic program on the edition of the games.
The sports played in the Olympics
It’s worth noting that the IOC is always looking for new ways to attract younger audiences and to keep the games fresh and exciting. New events, disciplines, and disciplines with new formats are always under evaluation as additions to the program.
For 2032 the IOC is throwing tradition out the window. The delayed 2021 Games introduced skateboarding, sport climbing, karate and surfing, and new disciplines like Basketball and BMX Freestyle were also included.
New sports will add new audiences and Paris 2024 will be the first Olympics with break dancing on the program. Unfortunately ruled out Australia’s native sport, Australian Rules for 2032.
New for Brisbane 2032?
Netball has gone from strength to strength since the Commonwealth Games program in 1998, and competition has never been more fierce, as demonstrated in Birmingham in July when Jamaica played Australia in the final. Cricket is also a game that is on the radar of the Olympic Committee. It will be interesting to see what is in store for the Brisbane Olympic audience.