When the 2024 Paris Olympics kick off this week, fans are going to be overloaded with 329 events spread out across 32 sports.
Most will be the standards you come to expect from the Summer Olympics, including basketball, soccer, gymnastics, volleyball, and the track and field events.
Baseball and softball were brought back as specials for the 2020 games in Tokyo (played in 2021 due to COVID) but they will not return in 2024. They are however expected to be part of the 2028 Summer Olympics. Karate was also dropped after debuting in 2020 and has no planned date to return.
But there have also been several new sports and events added to the 2024 lineup at the Paris Olympics, the first to be held in Paris in 100 years. Let’s recap what you should expect to see for only the 1st or 2nd time in the history of the Summer Olympics this month, and remember to check out the odds at the top sportsbooks for great betting value!
New Sport: Breaking
The only sport making its Olympic debut in 2024 is breaking, which is more commonly known as breakdancing. This is a style of street dance that became popular in urban communities in the United States (namely in New York) in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Its roots are tied to the early days of hip-hop music.
It has reached global appeal with notable breakdancing scenes in Brazil, Cambodia, France, Japan, South Korea, and even China in the last decade despite many social media limitations. This has helped it become an international sport with rigorous judging and world records.
Breaking was an event at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics as it is much more popular among the youth than any other age group. To capitalize on this youth interest, it was added to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
There will be two medal events for 16 men (“b-boys”) and 16 women (“b-girls”) to compete against each other. Keep in mind they won’t know the music they have to dance to before the event starts. They must improvise on the spot.
If this sounds interesting to you, be sure to check it out on the Paris Olympics schedule (August 9-10) as breaking is not expected to return for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Look Who’s Back: 3×3 Basketball
3×3 basketball made its Olympic debut in the 2020 games, which were played in Tokyo in 2021. On the women’s side, the United States won the gold medal, but the United States did not participate in the men’s tournament, which was won by Latvia.
3×3 basketball returns at Paris for the 2024 Olympics with the games set to be played from July 30 to August 5. Eight countries will participate in tournaments for men and women, and this time the United States will enter the men’s tournament with former college star Jimmer Fredette the main attraction. He led the NCAA in scoring and was Player of the Year in 2011 for BYU.
Surf’s Up Again (But Not in Paris)
Surfing is back for its 2nd run at the Summer Olympics after debuting in 2020. It can be a logistical nightmare, which is why the 2024 surfing event will take place far away from Paris on the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia.
In the last Olympics, Brazil’s Italo Ferreira won the men’s competition gold medal while the women’s event was won by an American (Carissa Moore).
You can catch surfing at the 2024 Olympics from July 27 to August 5 with the medal events scheduled for July 31.
Skateboarding Returns Too
A shoutout to Tony Hawk as his classic video game series, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, turns 25 years old this September. It inspired a generation of gamers and skaters alike, but for those who can actually skateboard at a high level, it is now a staple of the Summer Olympics after debuting in Tokyo in 2021.
Japan was also dominant in the last Olympics, winning 3-of-4 gold medals in the skateboarding events. Australia won the other gold medal with Keegan Palmer winning that one.
There are 4 skateboarding events at this year’s Olympics. They are broken down into street and park events with the men and women having their own events.
The street finals are up early on July 27-28, and the park finals are scheduled for August 6-7.
Sports Climbing Gets a Makeover
In the 2020 Olympics, competitive sports climbing made its debut but to some criticism. There were only 2 events with the men’s combined and women’s combined. This was combining speed climbing with bouldering and lead climbing, which is what drew the ire of critics.
Spain and Slovenia were the winning countries for gold medals in 2020.
In 2024, speed climbing will be a separate medal event that is scheduled to be held on August 7-8. Men and women will still compete in the combined event of bouldering and lead climbing on August 9-10.
New Event: Kayak Cross
Canoeing has been part of the Summer Olympics since 1936, but 2024 will introduce a brand-new event in the canoe slalom category called the kayak cross.
In a kayak cross race, kayakers are competing against each other instead of the clock. Contact is permitted, so you can see them use their paddles to hold off their competition and things can get very physical. The course also has upstream and downstream gates, and the kayakers must submerge their head underwater to complete a 360-degree boat roll.
If this sounds like dangerous, competitive fun to you, then be sure to check out the kayak cross finals on August 5.
@jcubedhax brat summer 360 fr #paris24 #olympics #brat ♬ original sound – Coach Jackie J
