New Olympic Sports for Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024

As society progresses, the Olympic Games are faced with the need to modernize. As a result, the committee has decided to add new sports to the next Olympic Games.

With the passage of time, the Olympic Games have modified their agenda according to the evolution of sports and their foundations to be accepted at the Games. During the 2024 Games, there will be a new list of Olympic sports. These sports may debut as soon as the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

How are the Olympic Games selected?

The International Olympic Committee has a clear set of rules that sports must comply by in order to be considered by the Olympics. First, the following issues stand out:

• The sport has to be regulated by a national federation: this entity must dictate the norms and supervise the sport.
• Athletes must submit to the anti-doping code: this is part of the Olympic Charter, which establishes the principles of Olympism.

Apart from these two essential requirements, the sport must be practiced in a certain number of countries– 75 for men and 40 for women. The sport must also be practiced in at least three continents.

Certain sports have not been able to comply with all of these laws such as rugby, American football, baseball, and softball and as a result, they haven’t been included in the games. The last two sports, however, will appear in Tokyo.

Paris 2024: new Olympic sports

The IOC approved the provisional inclusion of four new sports (they mu st be ratified by the end of 2020). Three of them will debut in Tokyo, while the last sport will be included in the Olympics in 2024.

The following sports will be in the Olympics for the first time in Tokyo:

Skateboarding

According to those who are responsible for making these decisions, the inclusion of the new sports aim to include more young people in the event and to appeal to more ‘urban’ disciplines.

Skateboarding will be included in the 2020 Tokyo Games. The competition will take place at the Aomi Urban Sports Center. One of the goals the committee has is to settle the differences between the associations that seek to organize skateboarding competitions at an international level.

Skateboarding is a very attractive sport for spectators. The competitors will have to perform complicated tricks, some while suspended in the air in order to impress the judges who will then determine a winner.

Surfing

Surfing is another discipline that’ll be included in the next edition of the Olympic games. However, since each organizing city has the power to decide which sports to include, its appearance at the 2024 Games in Paris still needs to be approved.

Surfing is a modern sport that’s booming. As an aquatic discipline, competitors will aim to perform complex stunts on the waves, which will then be evaluated by a panel of judges. The panel of judges will be made up of Australian and American athletes.

Climbing

Climbing was already part of the agenda of the 2018 Youth Olympics Games in Buenos Aires, and it will also form part of the 2020 Tokyo experience.

The truth is that climbing is a sport that attracts the attention of young people. It consists of ascending a wall by following a path marked with grips. The winner will be the person who reaches the top in the least amount of time.

Breakdancing

Unlike the other disciplines which are going to be included in the next Olympic games, breakdancing is a group sport. It involves the execution of choreography to rhythms of hip hop and rap music.  Breakdancing demands physical dexterity since turns, pirouette and agile movements must be carried out in order to impress the judges.

Of course, it’s also important to have a good sense of rhythm and coordination. Improvisation may also be necessary in the case that a competitor forgets a movement.

In conclusion, these new Olympic sports are a sign of the progress of the Olympic Games. The idea is to modernize the Games and bring them closer to the tastes of current audiences. What sports would you like to see at the next Olympics?