This summer, the Paris Olympics program will feature 32 sports, nearly all of which have been featured previously. Four are returning from the Tokyo Olympics, but two sports will make their debut at this Olympics: breaking and kayak cross.
Breaking: also known as breakdancing, will be included in the Olympics for the first time ever. A style of street dance known for its intricate footwork and impressive acrobatic movements, breaking originated in the Bronx in the 1970s. Breaking was added to the Olympics because of its success at the 2018 Youth Winter Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where it had over 1 million viewers. The Olympic committee hopes to have its success translate onto the big stage.
Kayak cross: Kayak Cross is a subsport in canoe slalom, which takes place in a human-made whitewater course where athletes have to navigate through a series of gates along the water. Kayak Cross is a combination of all the canoe slalom rules but with teams of athletes competing against each other, not just the clock.
All of these sports debuted in Tokyo in 2021 and will be back for their second appearance in Paris.
Surfing: The actual event will take place miles away from Paris, in Teahupo’o, Tahiti, part of French Polynesia. The event will take place for over four days, where surfers will perform an array of different skills on the challenging Teahupo’o waves.
Skateboarding: Skateboarding will have two different environments in which athletes will perform. Street skateboarding will feature street-like conditions meant to simulate an urban environment. Park skateboarding will take place on a course with both bowls and bends.
Sport climbing: Sport climbing will get a transformation this summer in Paris. Sport climbing will now include bouldering, speed and lead. In bouldering athletes will climb 4.5-meter walls with no ropes. Speed climbing is when athletes race against the clock in elimination rounds. In the lead, athletes climb over a 15-meter wall without knowing the route before.
3×3 basketball: With roots in street basketball, 3×3 basketball is a creative version of the sport played on half of a basketball court with two teams of three players both attacking and defending the same hoop, as music plays in the background.
