The Olympic Games are the largest event that, every four years, attracts the attention of all people who are interested in at least one of the sports related to the Olympics. Athletes from all over the world strive to participate in an event of this magnitude. But not every summer sport belongs to the Olympic. Moreover, the list of competitions varies from year to year. What species are involved now and how has the situation changed throughout history?
How can sport become Olympic?
Everything is determined by the official game program. For this or that summer sport to be included in the list, one of several organizations needs to offer it. These include international and national sports federations, as well as the Olympic Committee. In addition, you can offer far from any sport. In order to obtain Olympic status, he must have a federation recognized by the IOC throughout the world, and be fairly widespread. As part of this sport, championships and competitions should be held. If it is a summer sport for men, it should attract participants from seventy-five countries from four continents. If for women, forty states will be enough. Finally, winter sports are included in the program if there are competitions in twenty-five countries on three continents. To ensure that the game program does not grow indefinitely, other requirements are made. Sport should be spectacular, cover a large audience of television viewers, be popular with young people and commercial sponsors. Only then can the IOC decision be positive.
Olympic views
The number of competitive disciplines has changed more than once in the history of games. At the moment, the classification includes twenty-eight summer sports. In winter, they are several times smaller, only seven. However, it is worth considering that some suggest a group of several disciplines. If you divide them into separate species, you get forty-one. In winter there will be fifteen. Previously, the situation was different, and still it is constantly changing, so every new event is a very special summer Olympiad. The sports that were included in the list of disciplines before are baseball, and pelota, and cricket with croquet. There were also Olympic lacrosse, softball, water sports, tug of war, the same de ram, rock, wrecks and polo. In addition, in 1908, the summer sport at the Olympics was, oddly enough, represented by figure skating, and hockey was added in 1920. Since 1924, these disciplines relate to the Winter Olympic Games.
Species that are not included in the program
Some competitions offered the attention of the committee, but they were never accepted on the list. These include American and Australian football, water skiing, bowling, Finnish baseball, Norse wrestling, kaatsen, lyakan, motorcycling, roller hockey and many others. In winter species, the list is no less impressive. Not awarded the Olympic status of hockey, ice rink, dog racing, speed skiing and winter pentathlon.
Gymnastic and athletic types of programs
Rhythmic gymnastics has been an Olympic summer sport since 1984. Competitions were held eight times. Over all the years of the games, more than five hundred participants competed for the medal. The best exercises are possible for Russians, Spaniards, Ukrainians - in the overall classification the teams of these countries received a maximum of awards.
In the same group of disciplines, you can include the most famous summer sport, where running and jumping are present - athletics. She has been in the game program since 1896. For all the time, twenty-two thousand four hundred and fourteen participants took part in such competitions. The champion in the overall standings is the United States: 323 gold medals are a record result that is impossible to compete with. It is also worth mentioning gymnastics. This summer sport has been participating in the program since 1896 and attracted four thousand one hundred ninety-five participants. The leaders were athletes from the USSR who won seventy-two gold medals.
Varieties of struggle
Boxing is a difficult summer sport that has been included in the program since 1904. In the history of games, five thousand two hundred and sixty-two athletes took part in the competitions. The leader in this form are the Americans who have won more than a hundred awards. Cubans are in second place, and the British are third. Another difficult combat sport in the summer is judo. It was first included in the program during the games in Tokyo in 1964. Perhaps such a start has become a landmark - in the overall classification, the Japanese are the leaders. In second place are the French, from which representatives of South Korea are only four medals behind. Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the program at the same time when the games began. The Summer Olympics in Athens in 1896 was the first for this sport. During the games, more than two and a half thousand athletes participated in the competitions. The three leaders include the USSR, Sweden and Finland.
Varieties of rowing
Of course, the Summer Olympics is tightly connected with water disciplines. This can include not only a variety of swimming, but also boating sports - for example, rowing. This summer sport has been included in the program since 1900. During the games seven thousand five hundred thirty-nine athletes from ninety-three countries competed in it. Three of them are champions: the now defunct GDR, the USA and Great Britain. Another variety of rowing, canoeing and kayaking, was included in the list of Olympic species in 1936, during the games in Berlin. Three thousand two hundred sixty-seven participants from ninety-five countries have participated in competitions since the beginning of the last century. The three leaders are represented by the USSR, Germany and Hungary.
Ball games
Summer sports also include several varieties of volleyball and basketball. Each of them was attended by many athletes. Volleyball has been part of the Olympic program since 1964. During this time, two thousand four hundred and twenty-six players from forty-five states participated in the competitions. Representatives of twenty countries at different times won medals. The best were the players from the USSR, Brazil took the second place, and Japan was the third. Beach volleyball became an Olympic kind not so long ago, in 1996 in Atlanta. Over five seasons, three hundred and forty-seven players participated in the competition. Athletes from the USA are in the lead, Brazil is again in second place, and Australians are closing the top three. Basketball became Olympic back in 1936 in Berlin. Over the history of the games, three thousand four hundred and forty-eight athletes took part in competitions in this sport, the best of which are residents of the United States. The second place belongs to the Soviet players, and the third is Yugoslavia.
Tennis and Varieties
Finally, one cannot fail to mention one of the most popular sports in the world. Classic tennis has been included in the program of the Olympic Games since 1896. Over the history of competitions in this sport was attended by one thousand one hundred ninety-one players. The best tennis players are the Americans, the British are slightly behind them, and the French are in third place with a noticeable difference. Much less table tennis is included in the program. It was first included in it in 1988 in Seoul. For seven seasons, seven hundred eighty-eight people from ninety-eight countries took part in the competition. But only twelve of them can brag of representatives with medals. China is confidently in the lead, with South Koreans in second place and Swedes in third. In addition, applies to Olympic sports and badminton. He was included in the program in 1992 in Barcelona. Over six seasons, seven hundred eighty-nine athletes from sixty-six countries took to the courts. The first two leaders are identical to the previous one - the Chinese are the best, followed by South Korea. But the third place is different from the positions in table tennis and belongs to Indonesia.