5 Sports at the Olympic Games That Are Unique to Watch

Next Olympic Games

Nothing compares to the Olympic Games. Every four years, athletes from all over the world compete in the sports we all know and love. Every time the Games return, there is something for everyone to see, from gymnastics in the summer to hockey in the winter. There are several intriguing Olympic sports that you may not be aware of among the well-known ones.

You might wish to keep some sports in mind for the winter and summer games the next time they are held. Here are five interesting sports to watch at the upcoming Olympics.

1. Breaking

Breaking, or break dancing, is one of the last things you might anticipate seeing on the Olympic stage. It is a sort of urban dance that emerged in the 1970s in the Bronx, New York. It has become a very competitive art form, and soon it will be part of the Olympics.

So how does breaking as a sports function? On the dance floor, two athletes compete with one another. Five judges watch each performer while they take turns and give them a grade based on the following criteria:

Personality, technique, variety, performativity, and musicality are all important factors.

Since it became a recognized discipline in the World DanceSport Federation, breaking has become a professional sport. In the end, it arrived at the Buenos Aires 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee decided that the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris would be the first time breaking would be an official Olympic sport. This was because breaking has been so popular and successful.

2. Skeleton

You might miss the athletes racing in skeleton races if you blink. In this winter sport, people slide headfirst down an icy course, so they have to control their movements as they go.

Skeleton has a lengthy history because it is regarded as the first sliding sport in the world. In the middle of the 19th century, tourists enjoyed engaging in this activity. Skeleton finally emerged as a rich people’s sport with the renowned Cresta Run in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

It debuted in the 1928 and 1948 Games before being recognized as a sport in Salt Lake City in 2002. Four runs are provided to participants, each of which is timed to the hundredth of a second, according to FanSided. The fastest overall time is tallied up, and that person receives the gold medal.

3. Futsal

Futsal, which is pronounced “foots-all,” is another wonderful sport that isn’t talked about all that much in the United States. This South American sport requires ball control, technique, improvisation, and other physical skill sets. It is an indoor variation of soccer.

In an effort to develop an indoor version of an 11 vs. 11 soccer game, coach Juan Carlos Ceriani created it. More than 30 million individuals worldwide play the game, which is sanctioned by the FIFA association. So, at the 2018 Summer Olympics in Buenos Aires, futsal made its Olympic debut.

On a field that is around eight times smaller than a regular soccer field, players compete. On the field, there are two five-person teams competing to score goals through technical and artistic maneuvers. Futsal is a game that can be played year-round because it takes place in a smaller indoor setting.

4. Mountaineering on Skis

When ski mountaineering makes its Olympic debut at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games, get ready to watch. This competition involves hiking up and skiing down steep terrain, which calls for a lot of stamina and strength.

When it was necessary for people to traverse mountains in the winter, ski mountaineering may be traced back to primordial times. However, a German man successfully accomplished the first alpine traverse in 1897 by skiing across the Bernese Oberland. This is regarded as the sport’s beginnings.

Ski mountaineering hasn’t yet been contested at the Olympics, but that won’t happen until 2024. The inaugural World Championships in the sport were held back in 2002, and Italy is where it is most well-liked. Even an international organization called the International Ski Mountaineering Federation tries to advance the sport globally.

5. Ping Pong

Table tennis is no longer just something you do in a rec room for fun. Since the 1988 Seoul Olympics, when it became an official Olympic sport, it has been a competitive sport in which people from all over the world train hard.

Table tennis is what the pros call the game, but casual players may call it “ping pong.” In 1926, it was the site of the first World Championships. Since then, it has grown into a global sport with more than 40 million participants. Some of the top athletes from China consistently take home medals from the Summer Olympics.

A lightweight ball and specially designed rackets are used by competitors to play the game. At first glance, it might seem like a dubious sport, but as you see the players knock the ball back and forth at over 150 kph, your perspective will quickly change.

Next Olympic Games

The Olympics are fantastic because they take place in a different city every two years. That implies that you won’t have to wait long to see the most accomplished athletes compete for a gold medal.

Whether you’re looking forward to the summer or winter games, you can rest easy knowing that their dates have been set for 10 years. Some of the upcoming Olympic games will be held at the following times and locations: