What sports are being removed from the Olympics 2024?

By Jayson Panganiban April 09, 2024 17:14

Photo by Reuters/Michael Buholzer

The 2024 Olympics in Paris will witness the exclusion of several sports that have been part of the prestigious event in the past.

The decision to remove certain sports from the Olympic program has caused disappointment among athletes and fans.

Here, we delve into a detailed analysis of the sports that will no longer be included in the Olympics in 2024, shedding light on the reasons behind their exclusion and the impact of these decisions.

Baseball and Softball

Baseball and softball are two sports that have faced a tumultuous relationship with the Olympics. Both sports were played in the Olympic Games from 1996 to 2008, but they vanished from the programs for the following two Games (2012, 2016) before making their way back onto the summer stage in 2020.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has not publicly shared the reasons for their exclusion from the 2024 Paris Olympics.

But in the past, Major League Baseball (MLB) officials have expressed concerns about scheduling conflicts, as the Summer Olympics fall during the middle of the MLB season, making it challenging for the best players to participate.

Despite their exclusion in 2024, both baseball and softball will make a comeback at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

Karate

Karate made its historic Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games in 2020 but will not return for the Paris Olympics in 2024.

The decision to remove karate from the 2024 Games has puzzled many in the martial arts community.

The president of the World Karate Federation, Antonio Espinós, expressed confusion over the exclusion of karate and called for transparency in the IOC's process for determining the Olympic program.

The sport's exclusion has left many enthusiasts and practitioners disheartened, especially given its popularity and historic debut at the Tokyo Games.

Golf

Golf, which made a return to the Olympics in 2016 after a 112-year hiatus, will also not be featured in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Golf had been previously included in the 1900 and 1904 Games before its reintroduction in 2016. The reasons for its exclusion from the 2024 Games have not been explicitly stated.

But the sport's intermittent presence in the Olympics suggests a lack of consistent support for its inclusion.

Tug-of-War

Tug-of-war, a former Olympic event from 1900 to 1920, has been discontinued from the Games after its last appearance in the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium.

While the exact reasons for its exclusion from subsequent Olympic programs are not specified in the provided information, the discontinuation of tug-of-war reflects the IOC's evolving criteria for including sports in the Olympic Games.

Solo Synchronized Swimming

Synchronized swimming, including the solo event, was a latecomer to the Olympics, debuting as an Olympic sport in the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

The sport's solo event and its counterpart, duet synchronized swimming, were featured in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics before being dropped from subsequent Games.

The reasons behind the exclusion of solo synchronized swimming and the sport's evolution in the Olympic context remain unexplored in the provided information.

Curling

Curling, the ice version of lawn bowls, was introduced in the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924 and later appeared as a demonstration sport in 1988 and 1992 before achieving medal status in 1998.

While the sport's exclusion from the 2024 Olympics is not explicitly discussed in the provided information, its discontinuation reflects the IOC's periodic evaluation of sports for the Olympic program.

Impact of Exclusions

The removal of sports from the Olympic program can have significant implications for athletes, fans, and the sports themselves.

For athletes, the Olympics represent the pinnacle of their sporting careers, and the exclusion of their respective sports can be disheartening and may impact their opportunities for international recognition and competition.

The absence of certain sports from the Olympic stage can diminish their visibility and potentially affect their development and growth at the global level.

Fans of these sports may also feel disappointed by their absence from the Games, as the Olympics serve as a platform for showcasing a diverse range of athletic disciplines.

The exclusion of sports from the Olympics in 2024 reflects the dynamic nature of the Olympic program, influenced by factors such as sport popularity, scheduling conflicts, and the IOC's criteria for inclusion.