As the world slowly returns to normalcy, the previously postponed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo will commence on July 23. Let's take a look at the five new sports being added to these Summer Games.
Surfing
In case you didn't know, surfing is a pretty big pastime in Japan. Tsurigasaki Beach is about 40 miles outside of Tokyo and more than adequate to host the events.
Sports Climbing
With climbing gyms gaining popularity over the years, Olympic sport climbing was only a matter of time. The events will consist of three categories: bouldering, lead climbing, and speed climbing. Don’t expect to see any Olympians scaling Mount Fuji. All climbing events will take place on artificial climbing walls.
Skateboarding
Somewhere, Tony Hawk is wondering what took them so long. After years of petitions and requests, men's and women's Olympic skateboarding makes its long-awaited debut. Competitions will consist of two categories:
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Park – Skating on a series of ramps, halfpipes, bowls, and quarterpipes.
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Street – Skating on a course involving obstacles found in urban settings such as handrails, benches, and stairs
Karate
Olympic karate will join judo, boxing, and wrestling in the combat sports category during this year's games. Men and women will compete in the sparring discipline of kimute and the solo discipline of Kata.
Men’s Baseball & Women’s Softball
After a noticeable absence from the 2016 games, Olympic baseball and softball return to the global stage. The rules haven't changed: nine players on the field for nine innings for baseball, with seven-inning games for softball. The sport was missed and hopefully won't be left off in the future.
Coming in 2024 ...
To appeal to a younger audience, the Olympic committee announced in December that the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris will see the debut of Olympic competitive breakdancing. How cool is that?
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