Another edition of the Olympic Games is coming up, this time in Paris. With preparations for the event in full swing, the question arises: what are all the Olympic sports?
If this is your question, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we have a complete list of the sports practiced at the Olympic Games, with a brief description of each one. On the site, you can also find out more about these sports in other articles.
So let’s get to know all the Olympic sports, shall we? They include athletics, fencing, judo, swimming, diving, tennis, volleyball and many more.
Check them out 👇
All the Olympic sports: complete list
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Basketball
- 3×3 Basketball
- Baseball/Softball
- Biathlon
- Bobsled
- Boxing
- Breaking
- Speed Canoeing
- Slalom Canoeing
- BMX Freestyle Cycling
- BMX Racing Cycling
- Road Cycling
- Track Cycling
- Mountain Bike Cycling
- Nordic Combined
- Curling
- Climbing
- Fencing
- Alpine skiing
- Cross-country skiing
- Mountain skiing
- Freestyle skiing
- Flag Football
- Soccer
- Futsal
- Acrobatic Gymnastics
- Artistic Gymnastics
- Trampoline Gymnastics
- Rhythmic Gymnastics
- Golf
- Handball
- Beach Handball
- Equestrian
- Ice Hockey
- Grass Hockey
- Judo
- Karate
- Lacrosse
- Weightlifting
- Luge
- Wrestling
- Water Marathon
- Synchronized swimming
- Swimming
- Figure skating
- Speed skating
- Short track speed skating
- Inline Speed Skating
- Modern Pentathlon
- Water Polo
- Rowing
- Rugby sevens
- Ski jumping
- Ornamental Jumping
- Skateboarding
- Skeleton
- Snowboarding
- Squash
- Surfing
- Taekwondo
- Tennis
- Table Tennis
- Archery
- Shooting
- Triathlon
- Sailing
- Volleyball
- Beach Volleyball
All the Olympic sports: get to know them!
Athletics
One of the oldest sports in the Olympics, it involves the following disciplines:
Running races and marathons;
- Jumping
- Throws;
- Throws;
- Athletic marching;
- Decathlon;
- Heptathlon
Badminton
Played individually or in doubles, it consists of hitting what is called a volley, or shuttlecock, with a racket.
Basketball
With five players on each side, basketball consists of shooting the ball into the basket.
3×3 basketball
3×3 basketball is a simpler form of regular basketball, with only three players on each side.
Baseball/Softball
Baseball or softball are sports in which athletes have to throw and hit balls in order to score points. The difference between them is that baseball is played by men and softball by women
Biathlon
Biathlon is a sport that combines cross-country skiing and shooting. In the first phase, the athlete glides across the snow on parallel skis. In the second, the athlete moves with the equipment.
During the ski races, the athletes stop at shooting stations to hit the targets within a set time.
Bobsled
In bobsled, a winter sport, groups of two or four people go downhill on sleds on ice tracks full of curves.
Boxing
In boxing, a well-known sport, fighters face each other with gloves on and throw punches using only their fists. The winner is the one who destabilizes their opponent first, without being able to get up.
Breaking
At the Paris Olympics, the public will see the debut of breaking, also known as break dancing. In the sport, b-boys and b-girls will show off their best urban dance moves.
Speed Canoeing
Speed canoeing is a water sport. In it, athletes compete in races on calm waters in canoes or kayaks.
Slalom canoeing
In slalom canoeing, competitors race their canoes or kayaks through rapids, making it more difficult and requiring a lot of skill.
Freestyle BMX cycling
BMX freestyle cycling is a sport competed in on bicycles, but instead of racing the athletes have to show off their skills in maneuvers and jumps.
BMX racing
In BMX racing, athletes race their bikes over bumps, curves and other obstacles.
Road cycling
In road cycling, competitors race on roads. In competitions, we always see large groups riding along these roads.
Track cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle race in which athletes compete on tracks built exactly for this purpose. They are also known as velodromes.
Mountain bike cycling
In mountain biking, or mountain biking, racers have to cover uneven terrain and, of course, mountains.
Nordic combined
Practiced in winter, Nordic combined is a sport that consists of cross-country skiing and jumping.
Curling
In curling, the athlete has to throw granite stones as close to the target as possible. This happens with the object sliding on the ground and the players using sweepers to facilitate this process.
Climbing
Climbing made its Olympic debut in 2021 at the Tokyo competition. In the sport, athletes compete in three disciplines: bouldering, speed and guided.
In bouldering, the competitor climbs 4.5-meter-high walls with a set number of attempts and a set time.
In speed climbing, whoever reaches the top the fastest wins. In guided climbing, athletes have to climb as high as they can in a predefined time.
Fencing
In fencing, competitors use foils, sabres and swords to attack and defend themselves. The sport is known for being the only combat sport that does not allow competitors’ bodies to come into contact.
Alpine skiing
In alpine skiing, a winter sport, athletes travel downhill in the snow, dodging obstacles. The winner is whoever makes it in the shortest time.
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is the oldest form of skiing and consists of traveling long distances. Athletes can cover from two to 50 kilometers in competitions.
Mountain skiing
Also known as touring skiing, in mountain skiing athletes face greater levels of difficulty, with even more safety equipment and aids. In this sport, the routes covered are more natural, depending on the weather conditions at the time.
Freestyle skiing
In freestyle skiing, athletes perform acrobatic jumps while speeding down mountains.
Flag football
Similar to American soccer, flag soccer is a game in which, in addition to scoring points by advancing with the ball, players need to reattach the flags attached to their opponents’ belts.
Soccer
In Olympic soccer, the rule is well known. With 11 players on each side in a 90-minute match, the team that scores the most goals against the opposition wins.
Futsal
In futsal, a derivative of soccer, teams of five players face each other with the same objective as the original sport. However, the matches take place on indoor, enclosed and smaller pitches.
Acrobatic gymnastics
In acrobatic gymnastics, athletes need to use their balance, motor coordination and great agility to perform acrobatics. The sport is practiced together, in groups of two, three or four people.
Artistic gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics is practiced individually and also consists of acrobatic movements:
- Floor;
- Horse with handles;
- Hoops;
- Jumping
- Parallel bars;
- Fixed bar;
- Balance beam.
Trampoline gymnastics
Trampoline gymnastics is an acrobatic sport in which all the gymnast’s skills are displayed on a trampoline.
Rhythmic gymnastics
In rhythmic gymnastics, acrobatics are mixed with dance and the use of accessories such as ribbons, balls and hoops. Performances need to be well choreographed to ensure a good score from the judges.
Golf
Golf is also an Olympic sport and consists of using clubs to hit balls into holes on the course. The venues are built exactly for this, based on size, accessibility and quality.
Handball
Handball is also on the list of all Olympic sports. In this sport, each team has six players and the aim is to score goals. However, unlike soccer, goals are scored by throwing the ball with your hands.
Beach handball
Like handball, beach handball has the same objective, but it takes place on sand. It can be played on both beaches and fields.
Equestrianism
In equestrianism, athletes jump on horses. The score is based on the animal’s training, the quality of the jumps and the quality of the ride around the track.
Ice hockey
In ice hockey, your players from each team enter an ice rink. The aim is to skate and use sticks to get the puck into the opposing team’s goal.
Grass field hockey
In grass field hockey, the players don’t wear skates, of course, but they still have to put a plastic ball into the opponent’s goal using sticks.
Judo
Judo is a Japanese martial art in which the aim is to knock your opponent down by pinning their shoulders to the ground. To do this, there are knockdown blows and immobilization techniques.
Karate
Karate, which is also a martial art from Japan, is on the list of all the Olympic sports practiced every four years. The aim is to score points by hitting your opponents.
Lacrosse
In lacrosse, the players (10 on each team) have to use long sticks with a net on the end to throw a ball towards the opposing team’s goal. The ball is small and made of rubber.
Weightlifting
Weightlifting is a sport that consists of lifting as much weight as possible. This is done in two ways: the snatch and the throw.
Luge
In luge, a Winter Olympic sport, athletes lie on sledges with their feet and legs stretched out. They then have to slide down an ice track at high speed, without brakes.
Wrestling
In wrestling, one of the oldest sports in the world, athletes compete in Greco-Roman and freestyle disciplines. In the former, athletes must use only their bodies and their own physical strength to knock down their opponents. In the latter, various techniques can be explored.
Water marathon
In the aquatic marathon, swimmers swim in open water and over long distances, betting on races.
Synchronized swimming
The list of all the Olympic sports also includes synchronized swimming, in which athletes combine swimming, dance and gymnastic movements in the pool to music.
Swimming
In swimming, athletes compete in different types of stroke: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and medley. In some cases, swimmers combine all styles. Competitions also vary in relation to the size of the pool.
Figure skating
In figure skating, which takes place on ice, athletes perform choreographed routines to show off their skills and techniques. Competitions can be held individually or in pairs.
Speed skating
As its name suggests, speed skating consists of races on skates that take place on ice. The races take place over distances of up to 10,000 meters.
Short track speed skating
Derived from speed skating, short track speed skating takes place on smaller tracks of up to 3,000 meters.
Inline speed skating
In inline speed skating, the races don’t take place on ice, but on asphalt surfaces. Therefore, the skates used are inline skates with wheels.
Modern pentathlon
The modern pentathlon, which is part of the list of all Olympic sports, sees competitors practicing five disciplines in a single competition:
- Fencing;
- Swimming;
- Shooting;
- Running.
- Water polo
Water polo is a sport similar to handball, but it takes place in a swimming pool. In this sport, two teams compete in an attempt to throw the ball into the opposing team’s goal.
Rowing
Rowing, a speed sport, is a race that can take place individually, in pairs, groups of four or eight rowers. The distances covered can be up to 2,000 meters.
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, a variation on traditional rugby, has only seven players on each team. The aim of the competition is to score points by crossing the line.
Ski jumping
Ski jumping is a Winter Olympic sport. Athletes perform ski jumps from a ramp and are judged on their technique by a panel of judges.
Ornamental jumping
In show jumping, athletes jump from fixed or mobile platforms straight into the water. During this time, they have to perform acrobatics. The jumps can be in the front, back, kick to the moon, flip or reverse, balance and screw categories.
Skateboarding
In skateboarding, a sport that entered the Olympics at the Tokyo Games, there are two types of competition. The first is street, on tracks that simulate urban characteristics, and park, with ramps, bowls and curves.
Skeleton
Skeleton is also on the list of all the Olympic sports, including winter sports. Considered to be one of the most extreme sports, the athlete lies on a board face down and slides down the ice on a track full of curves.
Snowboarding
Snowboarding, also a winter sport, involves the athlete sliding down the snow on a board attached to their feet. The disciplines competed in are freestyle, freeride, alpine and backcountry.
Squash
In squash, players compete individually or in pairs, using rackets to hit the ball into a wall. They then have to hit the wall and the player has to hit it again before their opponent does.
Surfing
In surfing, which also made its debut at the Tokyo Olympics, surfers have to surprise the judges by catching the biggest waves and doing the best tricks.
Taekwondo
Taekwondo, a Korean martial art, is a form of self-defense that uses fast kicks, punches, blocks and dodging movements. The person who lands the most blows on their opponent wins.
Tennis
In tennis, athletes compete on the court in singles or doubles. The aim is to score points by making the ball touch the opponent’s side, which is then hit with a racket.
Table tennis
Table tennis is similar to traditional tennis, but takes place on tables, with smaller rackets, balls and nets.
Archery
In archery, athletes must hit arrows at a target with indicated locations, earning more points the closer they get to the center.
Shooting sports
Shooting sports, which is on the list of all Olympic sports, consists of using firearms to hit targets. The disciplines are three-position rifle, air rifle, air pistol and others.
Triathlon
Triathlon is a combination of three sports: swimming, cycling and running. The competition begins with swimming, followed by cycling and then running.
Sailing
Sailing is a sport that consists of different disciplines, involving small boats for one person or large boats for three or more sailors. The aim is to use the force of the wind and the movement of the sail to cover the distance.
Volleyball
One of the most popular sports in the world is volleyball, which is played at the Olympics. In the sport, the aim is to use your hands to throw the ball from one side of the court to the other, making sure it doesn’t hit the net or fall to the ground on your own side.
Beach volleyball
In beach volleyball, the rules are similar to volleyball, but practice takes place on the sand. The space is also smaller than on a traditional court, and only two players are on each side.
What did you think of learning a little about all the Olympic sports? Take the opportunity to check out our other articles on these sports, learning all about them and their rules.
