Three sports excluded in the 2024 Paris Olympics
Baseball, softball and karate bid goodbye to the Olympic scene at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. According to the NBC website, 32 different sports are in the program for the games but sadly discontinuing three.
Decision making
Sharon Pruiit-Young, a writer for the NPR website, said the decision on including and excluding any type of sport will come from the International Olympic Committee. “On the IOC website, former athletes of current leaders in athletics complete the organization’s 99 members,” she added.
Additionally, she explained that the IOC executive board proposes which sports to include and the rest of the members of the board will vote. Five factors are the basis of the inclusion process of a sport, says the website. The factors are:
- Value of the sport that would add to the Olympics’ legacy
- How long the sport existed
- How popular the sport is in the host country
- How much it would cost to broadcast the events
- Must be governed by an international sports federation and must comply with both the Olympic Charter and the World Anti-Doping Code.
Additionally, the site says scheduling needs and venue limitations, especially if they do not meet the criteria, can lead to some sports being left off the program. “Both baseball and softball were voted out by an anonymous IOC vote in 2005 not to be included in the 2012 games and did not expect a comeback until 2020,” says the site.
Saying goodbye
The long-standing issue for baseball’s exclusion in the games is scheduling, says the NBC website. “The summer is a critical period for professional baseball leading to conflicts with players’ schedules wanting to play for their countries in the games,” says the website.
Major League Baseball teams’ athletes are faced with stress because several players would have to walk away during the summer to participate in the Olympics, says Robert Manfred, MLB commissioner. In an interview with Forbes, Manfred said players being away from their team would alter their games. “I believe that our owners would not want a break in our season. Continuity is important,” he added.
Softball, baseball’s sibling sport is also removed from the games. According to the USAToday website, the sport was in the Olympic program from 1966 to 2008. “The athletes who won medals during these years worry what that will do to their sport in their future,” says the site.
“It hurts our sport. One can be any size, age, shape, and color in this sport. Softball does not discriminate and I think it deserves to be on the Olympic docket on a consistent basis,” says American pitcher, Monica Abbott.
Karate is the last sport excluded from the games. It was rejected from the Olympics’ past bids because it lacked entertainment value and the ability to attract a younger audience, says the Reuters website. “This decision has caught many in the martial arts community off guard, especially because it is popular in France,” says the site.
Breaking debut
While baseball and softball fans patiently wait for both sports’ comeback in 2028, a newer sport called ‘Breaking’ makes its debut at the games. According to the NBC Olympics website, it is a style of dance originally from the Bronx in the 1970s. “16 men and 16 women or the B-boys and B-girls will compete. The battle features a best-of-three one-on-one contest done in one minute.” says the site.
As soon as the breaker finishes their routine, the opposing teams’ player instantly begins their routine in a battle format. “The scoring is 60 percent of performativity and creativity and 40 percent for personality, technique, variety and musicality.” says the site.