List of Olympic sports
Overview
The Olympic Games are a major international multi-sport event. During its history, both the Summer and Winter Games were evolved by adding new sports and disciplines, which increased the number of medals awarded. There are currently 33 sports in the Summer Olympics and 7 in the Winter Olympics. Each Olympic sport is represented by an international governing body, namely an International Federation (IF). The International Olympic Committee (IOC) establishes a hierarchy of sports, disciplines, and events. According to this hierarchy, the Olympic sports can be subdivided into multiple disciplines, which are often assumed to be distinct sports.
Summer Olympic Sports
The Summer Olympic Games have more sports and events than the Winter Olympic Games. The 2020 Summer Olympics included 33 sports. Some of the sports like Athletics, Swimming, Gymnastics and Cycling have been a part of the Olympic program since the inaugural modern Games in 1896.
Athletics
Athletics has been contested at every Summer Olympics since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics. Events in athletics include track and field events, road running events, and racewalking events.
Swimming
Swimming has been a sport at every modern Summer Olympics. It has the second-largest number of events (after athletics). The events are held in a swimming pool, and there are four strokes used in Olympic competition: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.
Gymnastics
Gymnastics events have been contested at every Summer Olympic Games since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics. It was included in the 1896 Olympics as a men's competition sport, but women have been allowed to participate since the 1928 Olympics.
Cycling
Cycling, another sport that has been included in every Summer Olympics, encompasses four disciplines: road cycling, track cycling, mountain biking, and BMX.
Winter Olympic Sports
The Winter Olympic Games is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing, Figure skating, Ice hockey, and Nordic combined.
Alpine Skiing
Alpine skiing has been part of the Winter Olympic Games since 1936, when a combined event of downhill and slalom skiing was introduced.
Cross-Country Skiing
Cross-country skiing has been part of the Winter Olympic Games since the inaugural Games in 1924 in Chamonix, France.
Figure Skating
Figure skating was first contested in the Olympic Games at the 1908 Summer Olympics. It has been included in the Winter Olympic Games since they were first held in 1924.
Ice Hockey
Ice hockey has been part of the Winter Olympic Games since the 1924 Games in Chamonix, France. It has been part of the program ever since, except for the 1960 Games in Squaw Valley, United States, when a dispute between the International Ice Hockey Federation and the IOC led to its exclusion.
Nordic Combined
The Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in cross-country skiing and ski jumping. It has been part of the Winter Olympic Games since the 1924 Games in Chamonix, France.