The 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games are set to be the biggest event this summer. This year, the event will be hosted in France. 32 sports will take place this year, some of which can be seen as unconventional. So, this could be the year to watch a fun new sport that you may have done recreationally. The Olympic Games will take place from July 26th to August 11th.
1. Skateboarding: Skateboarding entails riding and performing tricks on a skateboard. After making its debut on the Olympic stage at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games, skateboarding became one of the five sports to make an Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The street skateboarding events at Paris 2024 will take place July 27th and 28th while the park events will take place on August 6th and 7th.
2. Trampoline: Trampoline involves athletes bouncing over eight meters in the air while performing complex twists and somersaults. Trampolinists are required to have an insane sense of balance and precision for this highly technical sport. Trampolining first appeared at the 2000 Games in Sydney with both mens and womens competitions. The trampoline events will both take place on August 2nd.
3. Table tennis: Table tennis is a racket-and-ball sport played between two players or doubles teams, similar to tennis, and sometimes referred to as ping pong. The first World Championships were held in London in 1926, but the sport had to wait a long time before it eventually debuted at the 1988 Seoul Games. The sport has been dominated by athletes from the People’s Republic of China, winning 32 of 37 gold medals. The table tennis events will take place between July 27th and August 10th.
4. Fencing: Fencing is a combat sport where two athletes use swords to attack and defend themselves with the aim of striking their opponent to score points. Fencing is only one of five sports that have been permanent fixtures at the Olympic Games since the first modern Games were held in 1896. The fencing events this year will take place between July 27th and August 4th.
5. Artistic swimming: Artistic swimming, also known as synchronized swimming, is a relatively new discipline. Artistic swimming routines consist of a variety of moves including figures (leg movements), arm sections, and lifts. Synchronized swimming was a demonstration sport at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, but did not become a full Olympic sport until Los Angeles 1984 when medals were awarded in womens duet and womens solo. Men will be able to compete for the first time at Paris 2024. The artistic swimming events will take place between August 5th and 10th.
6. Break dancing: Breaking (also known as breakdancing) is an urban dance style that originated in the Bronx in the 1970s. The dance sport blends urban dance with great athleticism. Breaking made its Olympic debut at the Summer Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018. After seeing breaking’s popularity in 2018, the Paris 2024 organizing committee proposed to have it debut this year. The breaking events will take place on August 9th and 10th.
