What Changes Are Coming to the 2024 Summer Olympics?

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris are upon us! There are several ways this year’s Summer Games are changing the game — literally and metaphorically — for the foreseeable future. From opening ceremonies to breakdancing, Paris will be home to innovation and anticipation. What can fans worldwide expect from this year’s legendary installment of this ancient tradition?

Opening Ceremonies at the 2024 Summer Olympics

For decades, Opening Ceremonies have been in stadiums, locked behind the price of a ticketed seat. Paris decided to take the iconic Parade of Nations to the streets — or rather, the water. The River Seine, Paris’ scenic waterway, will play host to a parade of boats, harboring the athletes from every nation. 

This is the first time the event has been free to view, though there are a few exclusive areas with a price tag. However, it is definitely one of the most accessible. People all over the city will be able to see at least some of the glory. With countless cameras and screens, residents and visitors alike will be able to watch their athletes with the greatest clarity in history. 

Fans will be able to see close-ups of more athletes than ever, and, most excitingly, the captivating garb from every country. The Seine will send 10,500 athletes down the water over six kilometers in, what is sure to be, one of the most showstopping Opening Ceremonies in history.

But, what about changes to The Games themselves?

New to Paris

For years, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been deciding to add several sports. The Games are no stranger to moving sports and events in and out of rotation. 

Who’s curious about what it takes to become an Olympic sport? How did breaking break its way into Paris? It happens in two phases. First, an activity needs to be labeled as a sport with these qualifications: 

• Recognition as a sport by the IOC
• Has an international, nongovernmental administrative body
• Approval from the International Sports Federation 
• Implementation of the World Anti-Doping Code and active athlete testing

Then it becomes an Olympic event after it follows these rules:

• Filing a successful petition, defining how the sport meets eligibility as a sport, discipline (branch of a sport) or event (competition within a discipline)
• Has notable men’s participation in the sport in at least 75 countries and four continents
• Has notable women’s participation in 40 countries and three continents
• Is visually appealing to watch and has inherent value to Olympic traditions
• Does not rely exclusively on the mind or propulsion, like racing

There are numerous other rules, but these are the most important. This is how breaking came to be in Paris 2024. However, the most contentious additions are typically games involving judges as opposed to blunt scores. Though sports like gymnastics are some of the most popular, the judging method has always caused debate among Olympic athletes and fans alike. This brings us to Paris’ newest addition.

Breaking

Time to get a new type of adrenaline rush as the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics is the first to host Olympics breakdancing as a sport. The category is called “breaking,” and will feature 32 B-Boys and B-Girls. The venue Paris created is meant to simulate traditional urban landscapes to give competitors the most authentic experience. The best part is the athletes will not know what song beforehand — it will all be improvised. 

The IOC describes how athletes will compete for medals in Olympic breakdancing as they “use a combination of power moves—including windmills, the 6-step, and freezes—as they adapt their style and improvise to the beat of the DJ’s tracks…”

Athletes from Team USA, Belarus, France, Lithuania, Japan, Canada, China, Ukraine, Italy and Kazakhstan will battle for the world’s first medals.

Kayak Cross

Another slightly new addition is kayak cross, which is part of the larger umbrella of events under the canoe slalom designation. What’s the difference? Traditional slaloms are an individual race against the clock, whereas kayak cross is a race against other teams. The IOC clarifies this event as “a combination of all of canoeing’s whitewater disciplines, contested by four competitors simultaneously.”

Kiteboarding

Also known as kitesurfing, this is another new series of events in the sailing sport umbrella. Athletes will face winds up to 40 knots in a fascinating sport that’s like a combination of paragliding and windsurfing. 

Fresh, Returning Events

In Tokyo 2021, surfing, sport climbing — which includes bouldering and lead combined — and skateboarding made their debut. To the joy of many, they will be returning. 

Surfing is a fascinating introduction to Summer Games because landlocked host nations will have to ship their Olympians elsewhere. One option is making a human-made wave pool to simulate the ocean. Or, you could do what France is doing, which is shipping athletes 9,000 miles away to the legendary waves of Teahupo’o, Tahiti in French Polynesia.

Other newer sports and disciplines include 3-on-3 basketball, BMX freestyle and men’s artistic swimming.

Changes to Olympic Weightlifting and More

Some categories and events have been removed for one reason or another. They may not be popular or cost-effective. But, this doesn’t mean they are out of The Games forever. Some leave and come back, such as karate, baseball and softball, which was featured in Tokyo but will not make an appearance in Paris.

The most notable change is in the Olympic weightlifting event, which went from 14 to 10 categories. This occurred because maximum competitor counts were reduced from 14 to 12, and shifts in weight classes consolidated the show slightly. However, there is a new women’s weight class in boxing called bantamweight.

Additionally the pentathlon has been shortened from an entire day to a mere 90 minutes, with condensed rests and a different discipline order. Other small changes occurred in volleyball pools, skeet, and canoe slalom.

Get Read for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics

Are you getting excited to represent your favorite nations in this year’s Summer Olympics? These new events and changes will surely make the event exciting and groundbreaking, influencing subsequent Olympic summers for the rest of time.