Paris 2024 will see the debut of breaking, with new disciplines introduced in other sports; Olympics is back in Europe for the first time since London 2012; baseball/softball and karate have been dropped for this year's Summer Games
Last Updated: 19/07/24 11:07am
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Karam Singh will represent Team GB in the Breakdancing team at the Paris Olympics and taught Sky Sports News presenter Jo Wilson some of his signature moves
New sports have been introduced at recent Summer Olympics and Paris 2024 is no different as breaking makes its debut.
Skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing return from Tokyo 2020, while there are also events changes to some of the Olympics' more traditional sports.
Paris 2024 is not far away with the Opening Ceremony on Friday July 26, with football and rugby sevens action starting the Games on Wednesday July 24.
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What is breaking at the Olympics?
Breaking has nothing to do with damaging something. It's similar to break dancing.
It made its debut at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Argentina and was hailed as a great success.
Paris wanted to incorporate it into the 2024 Games to reach a younger audience, which is active on social media. The International Olympic Committee hope to inspire millions of children to start breaking.
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As part of our street sports series, Rugby World Cup winner Heather Fisher learns about breaking. (Filmed under the guidance of trained professionals. Please visit the respective websites to find the safest way to take part in street sports).
Breaking format at the Olympics
There is a women's breaking competition on Friday, August 9 and a men's breaking competition on Saturday, August 10.
Sixteen athletes will be in each event, where they will go head-to-head on solo battles. Competitors will have to keep up with the beat of the DJ's track, improvising against their opponent and using a combination of power moves including windmills, the 6-step and freezes.
The judges will score the moves and whoever has the highest score will progress to the next round and the final will decide who wins gold and becomes the first breaking Olympic champion.
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Sky Sports News' Miriam Walker-Khan explains the new sports and events that have been introduced for this year's Olympics
Where is breaking being held in Paris?
The two days of breaking will take place at the iconic Place de la Concorde, a public square in Paris that is being transformed into an open-air stadium for the Olympics.
The outdoor venue is meant to be a nod to the culture of street battles in breaking.
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Sky Sports News' Geraint Hughes details 10 things you may not have known about the Olympic Games
Kayak cross makes Olympic debut
As part of the canoe slalom programme, kayak cross will also make its Olympic debut in Paris.
Rather than racing against the clock, four athletes will race each other in heats, with the best athletes reaching the final. This event replaces the men's and women's K-1 200-metre sprint races.
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With the Olympics coming up in Paris, Sky Sports News' Geraint Hughes provides a brief history of mascots at the Games
What else is new at Paris 2024?
Sport climbing will see more medals on offer, with a combined medal for lead and bouldering, but a separate medal for speed climbing. This means there are four golds up for grabs, rather than just the one each for men and women in Tokyo.
In sailing, two kite events have been added - iQFoil and kiteboarding. Keeping on the water theme, men will be included in artistic swimming for the first time and there will be a team acrobatic routine round too.
Four events have been dropped from weightlifting, while baseball/softball and karate are not part of the Paris 2024 programme.
FAQs
The athletic, gravity-defying art form you might know as breakdancing is making its debut in Paris as the newest Olympic sport. Its route to the world's biggest stage began in the streets of New York, and runs right through the Bay Area.
What are the new sports in the Paris Summer Olympics 2024? ›
Skateboarding, cycling BMX freestyle and 3x3 basketball will also be held here. What are the rules of breaking? Breaking includes two events -- one for 16 B-Boys and the other for 16 B-Girls. Each group will compete in solo battles.
What sport events are happening in Paris in 2024? ›
Paris 2024 Olympic Sports
- Equestrian. Fencing. Football.
- Golf. Handball. Hockey.
- Judo. Marathon Swimming. Modern Pentathlon.
- Volleyball. Water Polo. Weightlifting. Wrestling.
Four events were dropped from weightlifting. In canoeing, two sprint events were replaced with two slalom events, keeping the overall event total at 16. In sport climbing, the previous "combined" event was divided into two separate disciplines: speed climbing, and boulder-and-lead.
What are the debut Olympic sports 2024? ›
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will be a landmark event, with breaking, also known as breakdancing, making its debut. It will join the likes of 3x3 basketball, skateboarding, and freestyle BMX, which joined in Tokyo 2020, as one of the newer events.
Why is breaking at the Olympics? ›
Breaking is part of the new wave of sports that the International Olympic Committee has ushered in as part of a broader effort to appeal to younger fans and add an urban flair to the Summer Games. It follows the addition of sports such as skateboarding and surfing, which debuted at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Which of these sports is making its Olympic debut in Paris this year? ›
The sport of breaking will make its Olympic debut in Paris in August. The Paris Games will include one men's and one women's event “where 16 B-Boys and 16 B-Girls will go face to face in spectacular solo battles,” according to the official Olympics website.
How many sports are in Paris 2024? ›
There are a total of 32 sports at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Is breaking Out of the Olympics? ›
While breaking is the only sport officially leaving the Olympics for 2028, boxing has not yet been confirmed to be part of the program in Los Angeles.
What sports are changed in Paris 2024? ›
Skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing and breaking are four non-traditional sports that will be contested at the Paris Games. Breaking, also known as break dancing, is making its Olympic debut. Skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing all first appeared at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Having made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, karate was not included in the 2024 Games. Baseball-softball has also been dropped for Paris but will return at Los Angeles 2028.
What big event is happening in Paris in 2024? ›
Here is a list of locations that will be hosting the Paris Olympic Games this 2024: Stade de France: Located in Paris's Saint-Denis district, this iconic stadium will be welcoming audiences to enjoy a jaw-dropping opening ceremony, as well as a closing ceremony to see off the games once they come to an end.
What are the new sports in the Paris Olympics 2024? ›
Breaking, or breakdancing, made its Olympic debut, but Team USA's Logan Edra (B-Girl Logistx) and Sunny Choi (B-Girl Sunny) did not advance out of the round-robin stage to the quarterfinals. The men's competition will be tomorrow.
Will breakdancing be in the 2024 Olympics? ›
Breaking (or breakdancing) made its debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and it's caused quite a stir across social media. The competition kicked off on Friday with an introduction from the Olympics icon himself, Snoop Dogg.
Why is there no breakdancing in 2028? ›
Breaking is not in the lineup of sports for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, and leaders of the sport think it's unlikely to make it into the events for Brisbane in 2032. It all comes down to funding, according to Zack Slusser, vice president of Breaking for Gold USA and USA Dance.
What sport changes in 2024 Olympics? ›
Breaking makes its Olympic debut, while surfing and skateboarding return for their second Games along with sport climbing and 3x3 basketball.
Why is there no breaking in 2028? ›
WDSF said the decision was made by the LA28 organizing committee and that local organizers since the Tokyo 2020 Olympics have been given the right to propose new sports for their Games.
What is the new sport for the 2026 Olympics? ›
According to the Team USA website, the International Olympic Committee created the sports program in 2022 for the 2026 Milano and Cortina Olympics to include ski mountaineering, a unique alpine sport that will make its Olympic debut in Italy's Dolomite moutains.
Will breakdancing be back in 2028? ›
Despite some misinformation circulating online, the decision not to include breaking in the 2028 Games was made long before Raygun's performance.
