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Frequently Asked Questions
How many sports in total feature in the Olympics?
A total of 40 sports are in the Olympics, including 32 in the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and eight in Milano Cortina 2026, the next Winter Olympics.
How many sports are in the Summer Olympics?
In all, 32 sports are on the Olympic programme for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. They are: Aquatics (Swimming, Marathon Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Artistic Swimming), Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball (3x3, Basketball), Boxing, Breaking*, Canoe (Canoe Sprint, Canoe Slalom), Cycling (BMX Freestyle, BMX Racing, Road Cycling, Track Cycling), Equestrian (Equestrian Eventing, Equestrian Dressage, Equestrian Jumping), Fencing, Football, Golf, Gymnastics (Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Trampoline Gymnastics), Handball, Hockey, Judo, Modern Pentathlon, Rowing, Rugby (Rugby Sevens), Sailing, Shooting, Skateboarding*, Sport Climbing*, Surfing*, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball (Beach Volleyball, Volleyball), Weightlifting, and Wrestling (Greco-Roman Wrestling, Freestyle Wrestling).
*Sports proposed by the Organising Committee of Paris 2024 for the upcoming edition of the Games.
There are no demonstration sports currently confirmed for Paris 2024.
*Sports proposed by the Organising Committee of Paris 2024 for the upcoming edition of the Games.
There are no demonstration sports currently confirmed for Paris 2024.
How many sports are in the Winter Olympics?
Eight sports and 15 disciplines are due to feature on the Olympic programme for Milano Cortina 2026. They are: Biathlon, Bobsleigh (Skeleton, Bobsleigh), Curling, Ice Hockey, Luge, Skating (Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Short Track Speed Skating), Ski Mountaineering*, and Skiing (Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined, Freestyle Skiing, Snowboard).
Ski Mountaineering was approved by the IOC as an additional sport for the programme of this specific edition of the Olympic Winter Games. The full 2026 event programme will be confirmed at the IOC Executive Board meeting in June 2022.
There are no demonstration sports currently confirmed for Milano Cortina 2026.
Ski Mountaineering was approved by the IOC as an additional sport for the programme of this specific edition of the Olympic Winter Games. The full 2026 event programme will be confirmed at the IOC Executive Board meeting in June 2022.
There are no demonstration sports currently confirmed for Milano Cortina 2026.
How many sports are in the Youth Olympic Games (YOG)?
There will be 35 sports on the programme of the Summer Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, up from the 32 that featured at the Summer YOG in Buenos Aires in 2018.
The 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon will feature a total of seven different sports. They are: Biathlon, Bobsleigh (Skeleton, Bobsleigh), Curling, Ice Hockey, Luge, Skating (Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Short Track), and Skiing (Alpine, Cross-Country, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined, Freestyle Skiing, Snowboard).
The 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon will feature a total of seven different sports. They are: Biathlon, Bobsleigh (Skeleton, Bobsleigh), Curling, Ice Hockey, Luge, Skating (Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Short Track), and Skiing (Alpine, Cross-Country, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined, Freestyle Skiing, Snowboard).
The Olympic programme is made up of sports, disciplines, and events. What is the difference between the three?
All sports on the Olympic programme are governed by an International Federation (IF). Disciplines are branches of sports comprising one or more events. Events are competitions within a sport or discipline that give rise to rankings.
For example, skiing is a sport, Alpine skiing is a discipline, and giant slalom is an event.
For example, skiing is a sport, Alpine skiing is a discipline, and giant slalom is an event.
What are Olympic demonstration sports?
A number of past editions of the Games have showcased sports alongside the main Olympic programme.
Several sports on the Olympic programme for Paris 2024 first featured as demonstration sports, including canoe at Paris 1924, handball (field) in 1952, badminton at Munich 1972, women’s judo at Seoul 1988, taekwondo at Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992, and tennis at both Mexico 1968 and Los Angeles 1984. All were upgraded to full Olympic events subsequently.
There are also several sports on the Winter Olympic programme that were first featured as demonstration sports, including women’s speed skating at Lake Placid 1932, curling at Lake Placid 1932, Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992, freestyle skiing at Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992, and short track speed skating at Seoul 1988.
Several sports on the Olympic programme for Paris 2024 first featured as demonstration sports, including canoe at Paris 1924, handball (field) in 1952, badminton at Munich 1972, women’s judo at Seoul 1988, taekwondo at Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992, and tennis at both Mexico 1968 and Los Angeles 1984. All were upgraded to full Olympic events subsequently.
There are also several sports on the Winter Olympic programme that were first featured as demonstration sports, including women’s speed skating at Lake Placid 1932, curling at Lake Placid 1932, Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992, freestyle skiing at Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992, and short track speed skating at Seoul 1988.